Persona Duality: The Extra Materials
by Sraosha
Summary: A series of extra chapters to expand on the Persona Duality universe. Here, I will explore the pasts of the characters and even the island itself. However, Kyle has developed a virtual reality combat simulator and is testing it out with certain opponents. Shin Megami Tensei and it's many spin offs provide plenty of adversaries for our heroes...can they beat them?
1. The Dawn of Lucille

**AN: **Chapter 65 is nearing completion. Yet it has occured to me that on my deviant art page are 'bonus' chapters that I never did upload here. So for those of you who'd like to see them, here they come!

The first one I wrote for some background detail on the island's early days. If you've been reading, you'll have noticed the name 'Lucille' crops up quite a lot. As well as Blaine's girlfriend Lucy (middle name Victoria - read this chapter and you'll see why this is significant), there's Lucille Hill outside Clairdol and Lucille Valley High School. So this chapter will shed some light on how the name Lucille got so popular.

Also coming up is the story written by Eugene Dwight that Serena discovered. Unlike this one, it's rather important to the story's plot, so it will contain some spoilers. A third extra chapter I intend to upload is Other World's Dan's life prior to the story's beginning. Another I started writing months ago was about Blaine's father, Timothy. As stated in the summary, I intend to throw in some cameo battles, just for fun. Nemissa from Soul Hackers is definitely going to feature (with her 'sexy defines her' moveset), and I'm thinking of a SMT: IV fight.

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><p><strong>Extra Chapter 1: Dawn of Lucille<strong>

_Extract from 'Foundation of Motion: Origins of Motus Island - 2010 Edition'_

The exact date of the island's discovery is unknown. However, it was not until the early 16th century AD that knowledge of it spread. The period before New Motus City shall be referred to as the 'Colony Century', covering the building of the first settlement to 1612. In this time, rapid development occured in all of the five known settlements. Each of them begin as only a small gathering of close-knit families seeking new opportunities, yet as people moved, they grew into vast townships.

The towns were officially named around 1510. Farawell, the largest at the time, was founded by a German-born farmer called Dirk Farawell. Studies indicate he was an educated man, fluent in several world languages, and he used his linguistic aptitude to build ties with the other four towns. It has been suggested that this lead to the unification of the city. Dirk, during his time on the island, married the younger Clara Asherton, and fathered three children - Klaus, Bridget, and Laurence. At the time, while Farawell, Saragel, Nova Albion, Takanawa and Legarte existed as small settlements, there was a sixth town build far away from them that lacked a name. The people there were trying to build a peaceful place to live, that avoided the hectic life of the growning settlements.

Dirk Farawell wrote in his only surviving diary of meeting the leader of that village. At this time, he struggled with his accent, and it took several attempts at the town hall to be granted an audience with Edgar Bridges. Dirk, despite slight embarassment, invited Edgar and his wife Lucille to have dinner with Dirk's family. Edgar accepted the invitation - after being tempted to visit the newly constructed Farawell Cathedral.

While Edgar's village did not become part of the city, it still holds great importance. Edgar came from England, yet he was not interested in Nova Albion's elitism. He did, however, have plenty of money to spend on constructing his village. Many spoke of his charming good looks, and some women were greatly disappointed to learn he was already spoken for. His wife was said to be a 'vindictive madam' until Edgar's charms won her over. She was a tailor's daughter, and disobeyed her father's wishes to join her husband on the island. Their marriage took place shortly before he announced his plans to travel to Motus Island, and it was reportedly a low-key ceremony with few guests.

The day after Edgar agreed to dine with Dirk's family, he and his wife went for a walk up the village's nearby hill. Maps of the island were rudimentary, and the hill had not been fully explored. Yet Edgar was always up for adventure. He and Lucille did not expect to encounter anything untoward, yet near the summit they found something that shocked them to the core. A seventeen year old girl, with raven black hair, covered in blood. Her dress was ripped and ragged, and the blood was pouring from a severe dagger wound. Yet, the girl clutched a baby girl in her arms. The infant was unaware of her mother's condition, innocently touching her face.

It was too late to fetch a doctor. The lady, touched by Edgar's attempts to save her life, briefly touched upon the sad series of events that led her here. It seems she was forced into a marriage with the baby's father, who resented the burden of raising a child. This resentment turned to madness, and attempted to stab the baby with a dagger. However, the lady managed to protect her child and pushed her husband into the river. Alas, the dagger had pierced her stomach instead. It was a miracle she had made it so far up the hill.

When asked why she went up the mountain after such dire circumstances, she replied: "I had to show her the dawn for the first time." The sun's gentle rays filled the scene with light, and despite her pain, the mother smiled at her baby's glee. Her body had finally reached it's limits, and she expired. Before she departed, she revealed her name. Claire. The baby's name was Dolly.

From then on, Edgar and Lucille adopted Dolly. They had to turn down the dinner invitation after all, due to the responsibilities of raising a child. Their village never did grow as large as the others, but peace and quiet were all their inhabitants needed. Years afterwards, Lucille gave birth to her own daughter, Victoria. This finally prompted Edgar to make a decision - the town needed a name. Thus, Clairdol Village was truly born. In honour of both Dolly's birth mother and her adoptive mother, the hill was named Lucille Hill. Edgar's family lived in peace, away from the hustle and bustle of what would become New Motus City.

To this day, the name Lucille has remained popular within the city. This has influenced plenty of prominent people throughout it's history. Lucille Valley High School in Legarte, whilst an indirect example, is one of the highest ranking secondary schools in the entire city. It has been claimed that Victoria Bridge's descendants later lived in the United States of America, yet there is no proof of this. Dolly's descendants also faded into obscurity, due to their family's low key profile.


	2. The Forgotten Land

**AN: **As said in the previous chapter, this one is filled with spoilers regarding later events of the story. Located with the book Serena found in the library, this text reveals the Divine Spark locations, and the fate of Amurdad. Some rather...grisly details are present, so be warned. Rest assured, the other Extra Materials will not take such a dark tone.

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><p><strong>Extra Chapter 2: The Forgotten Town<strong>

_An extract from 'Tales of Motus Island', 1713_

**This is a peculiar fantasy tale fabricated by the hallucinogetic ramblings of a malnourished, penniless writer. Ever since the discovery of this tale, a few obsessive scholars have attempted to verify the truth behind what this man speaks of. While some of the incidents do have real parallels, many of the details have been exaggerated. Therefore, we implore our readers to regard this Tale as pure imagination, and not historical canon.**

It has been one full cycle of the seasons since we purged our glorious island of the disgusting town straight from the underworld, a land of sin and depravity. Even just remembering that foul place makes me sick to my stomach, let alone all that has happened since. When I was there, I saw them peforming inhuman witchcraft dances. I had no idea what they were doing at the time, but my friend Joseph told me they were trying to awaken some sort of devil inside their black hearts. If every single one of them pullled it off, the planet would suffer total chaos, unable to control it's destructive nature. Every single inhabitant was a twisted being, with no right to deem themselves a human being. Their bizarre, ungodly clothes, their way of speaking, all of it was an affront to the human species.  
>That is why I was glad to partake in the destruction of Amurdad.<p>

The idea that we could erase it from the annals of time, and prevent their malice from spreading all over Mother Earth, tempted me too much for me to ignore. So I gladly took up my weapon and aided my friends. I can't even remember how many I killed, but I even cut off the head of a child, stabbed an elderly man to death, and drowned a woman carrying a child. It may sound cruel to you, whoever is reading this, but I had no regrets back then. In my head, I convinced myself killing that woman would prevent the birth of any more monsters. The despicable leader, Nihane Kronos, I could not find. Yet, his home was burnt to the ground, and I heard no record of his escape. He would have succumbed to our righteous act of justice no matter what he did.

Yet in death, they still plague us. They arrange that brutal, horrific tragedy that struck our holy Catehdral. The brotherhood of priests who worked there were kind, glorious men who put every iota of their energy into upholding the glory of our city. Alas, they met a grisly end. I was there when they were first found by the nuns - their bodies were in pieces. I saw heads cut open, torsos ripped apart, and their blood was everywhere. I have no idea what became of the Cathedral after that - entrance was blocked, and while rumours spread, my acquintances deem it an urban legend. Yet, I'm sure of the truth. Nihane Kronos may be in hell, but he still had the power to slaughter those poor priests. Even now, I'm sure he hungers for vengeance.

Nihane was the man behind that other calamity in Legarte. The Naval Base there was known for fostering true bonds between the soldiers, as if they were kin. They would gladly have died for their comrades. Yet after Amurdad fell, the soldiers started to lose their grip on reality. They began arguing with each other, slowly forgetting their brotherly love. They also refused to leave their base, having even lost their pride in protecting the harbour. Finally, the soldiers grabbed their weapons and tore each other to pieces. Not a single man survived - each one of them was out for blood. It was as bad as the cathedral, if not worse. After it happened, a massive riot broke out on the streets of Legarte. Everyone was blaming each other for what happened to the base, and quite a few lives were lost in the fighting. I nearly became one of the victims, but I managed to get away from those crowds.

After hearing about that catastrophe, I went to Takanawa. I didn't speak any of their languages, but I hoped it would be safe to reside within - until the castle was destroyed! That evil King they spoke of, he fancied becoming the first King of Motus Island! Ridiculous, I know! Even so, everyone at the castle turned on him. Friends who had stuck by him during his childhood heartlessly betrayed him! The entire castle got ransacked, and -good lord! Kronos, what demons have you wrought?

Even worse, at least to me, was the sorry incident in Nova Albion. The Donatella Family were such greedy, arrogant scumsuckers. They constantly bickered with the Albion Family, in blatant attempts to wrestle control of the town. Their son, Olivier, spat on me for having a speck of dirt on my clothes. I have never seen such rudeness before in my years as a vagabond. Even so, they didn't deserve their fate. They were discovered by their servants one morning - slaughtered! The animals entrails staining the imported carpets. The children, skulls cracked open. The eldery, bisected! Who could even think to sink to such depravity?!

That brings me to the tragedy of Saragel. A lovelier coastal town I never did see, but that mayor was a spineless coward who didn't want to join us! His son, and my former friend, aided me in burning down Amurdad's abominable medical centre, filled with all sorts of ungodly cures. His son was a good man, or so I thought. It turns out his father didn't like what he did, and had a few harsh words to say to him. So his son becomes insane, and commits patricide with a rusty harpoon! Then he tried to make himself the mayor - but he was a hopeless leader. He ordered the death of anyone who crossed him!

Then his wife - the woman I once loved - decides she can't let him do what he wants anymore. She shoves him off a cliff, and then she runs away, never to be seen again. Amurdad has robbed me even of Harriet. Lord knows what will happen to this island now - but this is not the end, I can tell you that!

If I stay here, Nihane Kronos will have my blood. I claimed the lives of his people, and now he seeks to wipe us all off the face of the earth, with his cruel dark magic. Once I make a fortune selling my book, I will take the first boat I can off this place. I truly wish I could stay. Yet, that evil man will not rest until the entire world feels his wrath. I won't let him find me. I'll find somewhere else to go. To anyone who finds this, please, do not make our mistake again. Do not destroy any town like Amurdad…in death, they become the weapon they wished they could be in life!

**_Eugene Dwight, Eternal Traveller _**


	3. Persona Activity Japan

**AN: **The entirety of this document (sans the Amami City portion) was going to be in Chapter 63, but since it was mostly just shout outs to all four Persona games it was cut. Here it is, however. I added an Amami City section mostly because of my playing of Soul Hackers - that and it is implied that Devil Summoner and Persona take place in roughly the same universe.

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><p><strong>PERSONA: POTENTIAL JAPANESE ACTIVITY<strong>

_Compiled by Grant Hanley of International Masquerade Division_

It has come to our attention that the concept of a Persona may not be unique to New Motus City. Whilst we are unable to travel to any of the following territories, suspicious activity was noted that seems related to Personas and Shadows. The five Japanese locations are as follows:

**Mikage-Cho:**

A fairly large city comprised of six wards. Sister city of a similarly sized American city called Lunarvale. Saeki Electronics & Biological & Electronics Corporation, or simply SEBEC, has a branch here that was ran by Takahisa Kandori. In 1996, he was allegedly involved with a project called the DEVA system. Details have been lost over time, other than a student from St. Hermelin High School called Maki Sonomura was involved. She was said to have spent a good amount of time out of school due to health issues, which contributed to a profoundly unhappy mental state. However, this incident was resolved then, and the city has since returned to normality.

**Sumaru City:**

A seaside city also divided into multiple regions. During 1999, it was believed that spreading rumours to enough people would make them come true. An organisation calling themselves the New World Order, headed by the then-Japanese Foreign Minister Tatsuzoh Sudou, became very active here. Their members included Takahisa Kandori, thought to have died three years prior, and a popular fortune teller named Chizuru Ishigami. Also during this time, it was believed 'JOKER' could be reached by an individual calling themselves on their own cellphone, and he would kill anyone you asked. Individuals from Mikage-cho, a nearby city, were said to be involved with the situation. A number of people seem to recall the city being lifted from the ground, but this has been dismissed as a hallucination by now, and like Mikage-cho, the city has returned to normal.

**Amami City:**

Originally a coastal country town, it was chosen by the government for the **Urban Modernization Project**, completed in 2000. It was redeveloped into a cyber metropolis completely connected by its own online network, developed by the now defunct Algon Soft. Registered ID cards were issued to all residents of the city. Composed of five wards, the city was the site of a virtual reality game called Paradigm X, which allowed it's users to live in an old-fashioned city and order products online, go on virtual tours, gamble, buy pets called 'Mechi' and chat with others in several forums. Primitive by today's standards, at the time it was the envy of the internet world. Yet mysteriously, users of Paradigm X suffered a disease that virtually drained them of their own soul. Around the time of these events, a group of hackers calling themselves the Spookies were publicly outed on TV, and eventually Algon Soft collapsed entirely. With this, Amami City slowly returned to it's old ways, despite the modern buildings. Yet to this date, expert programmers and hackers take up residence there. 'Yuichi' seems to be mentioned often.

**Iwatodai/Tatsumi Port Island:**

This city is located further away from the aforementioned two. It surrounds an island that is connected to the city via a monorail. A secret experiment, shrouded in mystery, occurred in Tatsumi Port Island in 1999. After this, a condition called **Apathy Syndrome** became known to the public, although it did not become widespread until 2009-10. The condition involved the sufferer being unable to move, feed, or care for themselves. They also experience apathy, hence the name. Cases were reported to quickly decrease after Full Moons in the April-November period. After December 31st, a strange cult started to preach about the coming of 'Nyx' - potentially the Greek goddess of the night. Mysteriously, after January 31st of the following year, Apathy Syndrome completely vanished. The truth behind this events is unknown, but the Kirijou Group - an offshoot of the Nanjou Group - appears to have been involved with these incidents. The current head of the group, Mitsuru Kirijou, was involved in a secretive high school organisation called SEES. Two of these members are dead - one before the Apathy Syndrome vanished, and one after.

**Yasoinaba:**

A countryside town, smaller than the previous territories. It lacks tourist interest beyond a traditional hotel called the Amagi Inn. Until March of this year, there were monthly cases of fog, sometimes considered to have adverse affects on the human body. In April of the previous year, two murders were committed that left no evidence of either murderer or the method of murder. The victims were a media announcer whose affair with a politician was revealed shortly prior to her death, and a 3rd year high school student who discovered the first death. The murder investigation carried on until the culprit was arrested - but then it was revealed that this was only a copycat murderer, responsible for the death of an unliked teacher but not the others. From November to December, the fog reached critical levels. There was also a peculiar myth called the **Midnight Channel** being spread around, that involved staring into a TV at midnight whilst raining outside. Details on this are vague, but it was said that a number of disappearances occurred - most notably, that of an 'idol singer' called Rise Kujikawa.

These matters appear to have been resolved, and investigating now is unlikely to be of any value to Aeternus or New Motus City. Other countries have not been examined, but it is a possibility that Persona and Shadows exist beyond New Motus City and Japan.


	4. Trauma Shadow Report

**AN: **Throughout the story, several unique Shadows have appeared that are remarkably different from the common ones Amara and co. fight. While they are not important to the story (at least, not to the same extent of the Full Moon Shadows of Persona 3 - yet they are a direct inspiration), I've thought of two more that will debut in the story proper very soon (Unblessed Cherub and Melancholic Diva), and as you may have seen in Chapter 66, the Harlequin returned. And thus, all of them will get a chance to fight again, stronger than before. Yet for now, I wrote some things about what the Shadows look like, what they do, and what incidents occured for them to be born from the collective unconciousness. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>TRAUMA SHADOW REPORT<strong>

_For the attention of A.V. [Archibald Ebert]. Anyone without appropriate clearance to access this document will be prosecuted if they are found with the original, a copy, or attempting to access either. Full details can be found on the 'Restricted Files' guide on the InfoBank server.  
><em>

_For a comprehensive list of Shadow/Persona abilities and their descriptions, consult 'Skill List' on the same server._

Date: 28/05/12

Author/s: Leanne Grimsby, James Cameron Murdoch, Reiko Kitayama, Naomi Wong

**Introduction  
><strong>

We have uncovered many varieties of Shadows during our intensive research. One of the most distinctive features Shadows possess is a mask, which seems to serve as a means to classify them. For example, there are multiple Balance and Sword Shadows, yet each one of them bears the mask of the Justice Arcana. Dancer and Cupid Shadows likewise fall under the Lovers Arcana. Exceptions to this rule are the Maya Shadows. Due to their relatively shapeless form, we speculate that they are a 'base' form of Shadow that did not transform into more tangible forms. The Basalt Shadows also come in several Arcanas, yet little information can be inferred from them at the time of writing.

Over the course of the last decade, unique Shadows have materialised within the Aeternus Compound. While they still bear the masks that have come to identify Shadows, their forms are entirely unique to them. Via thorough research as part of the Research & Development, we have gathered data on their capabilities in combat situations, their overall behaviour, and the threat they pose to society if they are to escape from the Compound. Our research has also produced intriguing parallels with rather traumatic events in Motus history or legend, and thus, we refer to them hereafter as 'Trauma Shadows'.

**General Notes: None of the Trauma Shadows can be killed via Hama or Mudo based attacks. While some high-tier Shadows have resistances to either or both, they do not appear to be connected. Research was collected via our research team and 'test' Shadows being placed to trigger combat behaviour.**

**1. Trickster Harlequin  
><strong>

**Arcana: Magician **

**Resistances: None**

**Weaknesses: None**

**Skills: Agi, Bufu, Zio, Garu, Aqua, Mudo, Megido**

The weakest of the Trauma Shadows. As the name may suggest, it resembles a clown, and wears the Magician mask. It is capable of casting low-tier elemental magic, as well as Megido, it's strongest attack. Due to it's limited capabilities, we have deemed it a low-risk threat in the potentiality of escaping the Aeternus HQ. If it is by itself, it spends a considerable amount of time juggling with a set of three grey balls. When it is near other targets, it enjoys cycling between each of the low-tier spells. If it considers itself to be in danger, it will cast Megido.

Upon researching circus performers, we came across a story of one concerned individual who was frustrated by the decline in interest in his talent. He attempted to stage a comeback show at a festival in the early 1970's, only for the crowds to largely ignore him. Then he attempted an incredibly high-risk final act, desperate to gain their attention. Unfortunately, it backfired, and his body was cut in half.

**2. Dominating Sorceress  
><strong>

**Arcana: Priestess**

**Resistances: Ice, Elec  
><strong>

**Weaknesses: Fire**

**Skills: Bufu, Mazio, Mind Charge, Bash, Red Wall, Evil Touch, Ghastly Wail**

This is the Priestess of the Trauma Shadows. It appears to be a somewhat gothic looking sorceress riding a black horse, yet whilst the sorceress wears the appropriate mask, the horse appears to be part of the Shadow itself. It is magically focused, capable of amplifying its spells with Mind Charge, as well as the particularly dangerous combination of Evil Touch and Ghastly Wail. While vulnerable to flame, it has the ability to defend itself via Red Wall. It is a low risk to the public, however, due to the low chance of it's Ghastly Wail strategy succeeding.

One textbook uncovered in Appleyard Library, Nova Albion, tells the story of a supposed witch who was said to have cursed all infants she came across after her own children died of sickness. She fled from her pursuers on a black horse, yet not long after she was declared missing, she was discovered in a field dead, the horse nowhere to be seen. For a time after this, there was folklore of a 'demon' horse galloping that same field.

**3. Melancholic Diva  
><strong>

**Arcana: Empress**

**Resistances: None**

**Weaknesses: None**

**Skills: Diarahan, Samarecarm, Masakunda, Matarunda, Marakunda, Heat Riser, Tetrakarn, Makarakarn  
><strong>

This Shadow, of the Empress Arcana, has perhaps the most beautiful appearance. Clad in a tall, flowing black gown with a plunging neckline, it also wears a white feather boa, diamond-studded white gloves, and black high heels. It carries a silver microphone at all times. It's hair is somewhat unorthodox - blue and orange hues swirling together that starts as a bob cut, then becomes a giant ring shape with four long ponytails beneath it. It is never seen fighting alone - it prefers to aid weaker Shadows, when accosted by stronger ones, by healing them and casting debilitating magic on their hunters. Therefore, it is by itself a low priority, yet if it were to aid a group of Shadows, it would be very high risk as it would compromise the efforts of the Ornatu Legion.

Symphonic Street is home to many musicians, some of which have gone on to become world-famous stars. One of these was a popular singer during the Second World War, during which soldiers from across the world came to the island during times of rest for peace and quiet. A depressed singer, who yearned for people to truly understand the meaning of her songs, was considering retiring. Yet one soldier caught her eye, and before he returned to the battlefront, he promised to return with a diamond ring. This brought cheer to her life for the first time in years. Yet all was over when news of his death reached her in 1943. She retired from public life, never to be seen again.

**4. Tainted Yggdrasill  
><strong>

**Arcana: Emperor**

**Resistances: Fire  
><strong>

**Weaknesses: Ice**

**Skills: Agilao, Maragilao, Autumn Call (attacks with it's leaves), Crazy Chain (roots)  
><strong>

One of the few Trauma Shadows to exist in an inhuman form, this one bears the Mask of the Emperor. It appears as a gigantic tree, with black bark and red sharp leaves. The Akashic Vidofnir appears to have an affinity with this Shadow, as it will often perch itself on it's 'branches', and defend it if any other Shadows attempt to conquer it. The Yggdrasill itself can use Agi spells and attack with the leaves, yet it is entirely immobile. However, it has been spotted at various locations in the Aeternus HQ, therefore it is assumed it has limited teleportation abilities. A moderate risk Shadow, due to it's imposing size and strength.

The name 'Yggdrasill' originates from Norse myth, as a tree that provided 'mana' to the world. However, in regards to myths regarding trees within New Motus City, several records exist of trees being used for hangings up until the 18th century when the practice was made illegal. Paranoid citizens believed the wood from these trees, later used in carpentry, would become cursed, yet no evidence suggests anything disastrous occurred beyond this.

**5. Akashic Vidofnir  
><strong>

**Arcana: Hierophant**

**Resistances: Ice, Wind**

**Weaknesses: Fire, Earth  
><strong>

**Skills: Bufula, Mabufula, Garula, Magarula, Diarama  
><strong>

While this could be confused for the 'Eagle' class of Shadows, it is distinguishably different from them due to it's larger size and more colourful plumage. It is a Hierophant, and is nearly always nearby the Tainted Yggdrasill. It possesses Aqua and Garu spells, as well as Diarama in case the Yggdrasill is in danger. It is very nimble, and a skilled flier - and it can cause heavy damage with its wings. By itself, it would be moderate risk, yet if both Vidofnir and Yggdrasill were to emerge together, it would be high risk and would require the Holy Cross or the Commander to dispatch them.

The name 'Vidofnir' is also of Norse origin, as the eagle that perched on the branches of the tree of life. Alas, the aforementioned trees regarding hangings do not involve any stories of eagles. There is, however, a tale of a foreigner who had tamed a particularly loyal eagle. He claimed his feathered friend would always fly back to find him, no matter how far apart they were. However, the tamer was killed during warfare, and the eagle disappeared shortly afterwards.

**6. Malevolent Temptress  
><strong>

**Arcana: Lovers**

**Resistances: All elements except Wind**

**Weaknesses: Wind**

**Skills: Aques, Magnara, Tentarafoo, Sexy Dance**

A particularly foul Shadow of the Lovers Arcana. This Shadow has already escaped from the Aeternus HQ, and during these brief moments of freedom, it has led many men to their deaths. Reports state it targets widowers by disguising itself as their late wives and mimicking their speech. As Shadows are incapable of their own speech, it is presumed the Temptress can reach through their minds to say phrases familiar to them. Once it has discarded it's disguise, it takes the form of a tall female, wearing a blood-red dress with black love hearts 'stitched' into it, a Lovers mask on it's face, and it's hair is a very impressive red mane, streaked with black. Even in this form, it can still charm and confuse enemies. Alas, it appears to be men who can fall victim to their wiles. Beside this, it can wreak havoc with Aqua and Earth magic. This Shadow has already been termed high risk, yet for reasons unknown, it has always returned to Aeternus HQ instead of being destroyed.

Tales of love are everywhere a person could look, especially those involving seductive ladies leading men to their death. Yet one story stood out. A widow, who had a happy marriage with a perfect man, started to fling herself at any man who took an interest - and even those who didn't. This behaviour continued endlessly, as she grew more alone, without anyone to save her from her despair. Finally, she committed suicide in front of her husband's grave, yet her ghost was said to still be hunting for men.

**7. Ixion Stallion  
><strong>

**Arcana: Chariot**

**Resistances: Phys, Fire (Null)  
><strong>

**Weaknesses: Ice  
><strong>

**Skills: Rampage, Power Charge, Balzac, Tarukaja  
><strong>

This Shadow resembles neither man nor beast. Rather, it is in the guise of a motorcycle, bearing a Chariot Mask. As with the Vidofnir and Yggdrasill, it has a close bond with another Trauma Shadow - the Macabre Rider. They engage enemies in combat using teamwork, as the Rider will enhance the Stallion's offence whilst the Stallion will manoeuvre away from enemy attacks. Due to this synergism, we have classed it as high risk, as it's speed and strength can easily overwhelm its enemies.

We have looked into the motorcycle gangs of Kanaloa, prior to the destruction. One surprising story consists of two men, both seasoned riders, recklessly rding all over town for the thrill of driving. Yet there were countless people who raved about them, due to their kind nature - often, they would stop racing to break up fights, and even save children from peril. They met their end in a tragic fire, as whilst they were carrying people in an apartment block to safety, the ceiling above them collapsed. If they had not sacrificed themselves, over a hundred people could have died in their place.

**8. Unblessed Cherub  
><strong>

**Arcana: Justice**

**Resistances: Light (Repel)  
><strong>

**Weaknesses: Dark (Presumed)  
><strong>

**Skills: Hamaon, God's Judgment, Megidola, Summon (Conviction Sword - Heaven's Blade, Sky Balance - Mediarama)**

This is a Justice Shadow, and it is considered by almost all that have witnessed it as the most abominable in appearance. Three giant angelic stone heads hovering in the air, connected by bizarre organic 'wires' to a decorative shining halo, which itself has the Justice mask spinning around on it's edge. Beneath these heads is it's body, a mostly stationary statue that has what can only be described as 'patchwork' appearance. The hands and feet constantly spin around, and it has many angel wings placed randomly over it - on an elbow, on a wrist, on the middle of it's back, on it's heel, on it's chest, etc. These all flap at irregular speeds, giving a very disturbing effect. Offensively, it is incredibly dangerous, due to its fondness of casting Hamaon and Megidola on unsuspecting targets and the ability to summon lesser Shadows to aid it. It is incredibly high risk, and thus if it were to escape, we suggest the Ater Vox being the ones to neutralise the threat. It seems to react badly to enemies casting Mudo magic, and will use either Conviction Sword or Sky Balance to absorb the impact.

While religious stories are rife within the city, we have come across one that may relate to the origin of the Cherub. In the 1600's, three priests slowly sank into depravity as they became increasingly unable to function without blessings from their god. They were said to conduct incredibly outrageous and violent behaviour upon others and themselves, in their desperation to have heavenly visions. They were swiftly excommunicated, and later were found dead in front of a statue of Jesus Christ.

**9. Demonic Compendium  
><strong>

**Arcana: Hermit**

**Resistances: None  
><strong>

**Weaknesses: None  
><strong>

**Skills: Summon (Various - has summoned a variety of Shadows), Poison Mist, Anima Freeze, Old One, Stagnant Air, Power Charge**

This again bears a resemblance to a common variety of Shadow, alas it is a unique form of the Hermit Arcana. It appears as a giant leather book, with a symbol on the front of a somewhat demonic face in a pentagram. The word 'TETRAGRAMMATON' can be seen on this symbol. From observing it's behaviour, it can open itself to one of the pages to summon another Shadow to fight alongside it. The full range of Shadows it can summon is not yet known, however the pages can be damaged in a confrontation. If this occurs, any attempt to summon the Shadow on the page will instead release a peculiar air. Besides this, it attacks with poison, exhaustion and enervation. A moderate risk, yet if it were to run amok summoning allies, it would be considerably higher.

In the 1930's, there was an isolated yet well-meaning mythology enthusiast who yearned to build up his knowledge. So he started to purchase any books he could, learning of new faiths, monsters, gods and demons. Yet he disliked having to refer to multiple sources, and began his own work - a comprehensive guide to every deity in legend. To this end, he sought out other compendiums that were under high guard in a museum somewhere in New York. He had little talent as a thief, however, and he died whilst an escape route went awry. Any of the planned book he may have written is lost, and most likely no longer exists.

**10. Tempestuous Warlord  
><strong>

**Arcana: Strength**

**Resistances: None  
><strong>

**Weaknesses: None  
><strong>

**Skills: Diarama, Tarukaja, Power Charge, Power Slash (Sword), Fatal End (Halberd), Black Spot (Lance), Mighty Swing (Axe)  
><strong>

A vicious Shadow of the Strength Arcana, that styles itself after a knight in shining green armour. It bizarrely has four arms, each bearing a different weapon - a broadsword, a lance, a halberd and a battleaxe. Therefore, it primarily focuses on swinging these weapons around indiscriminately, yet it can heal itself if in dire circumstances. Due to this, it is a potentially high risk. Ordinary Ornatu Legion troops would struggle to cope with it attacking them with four different arms as well as healing its injuries.

Long ago, before even the union of the city, there was a legend of four knights who trained under a heroic, gallant master. Upon his death, each one of them vied to be just as brave, if not more so. Their competitive nature and selfishness almost drove them apart, until they one day realised they worked well as a team of four. And thus, they created their own banner featuring their favoured weapons. Despite this show of teamwork, they all eventually died at sea at the hands of nefarious attackers.

**11. Corrupt Chronicle  
><strong>

**Arcana: Fortune**

**Resistances: None**

**Weaknesses: None**

**Skills: Depends on position of clock, ie:  
><strong>

_Magician: Maragi_

_Priestess: Mabufu_

_Empress: Dia_

_Emperor: Bash_

_Hierophant: Mazio_

_Lovers: Patra_

_Chariot: Tarukaja_

_Justice: Tetrakarn_

_Hermit: Rakukaja_

_Strength: Cleave_

_Fortune: Magaru_

_Hanged: Sukukaja_

This Shadow is of the Fortune Arcana, and has materialised as a gigantic, moving clock. The hands on the clock resemble the arms of Shadows, whilst instead of numbers, it has contractions of the first 12 Major Arcana on it's clock face. It functions by moving the hands to entirely random positions, using skills that correspond to those hands, then moving them again. The attack pattern is listed above.

There once was a master clockmaker, who could create beautiful masterpieces. Some of his works are considered antiques, and many are forever on display in some of the world's finest museums. After his wife, his greatest fan, died, he devoted his life to perfecting the greatest and most elaborate clock ever built. Alas, he was growing old and feeble at this stage of his life. Just before it was finished, he passed away in his sleep. His assistants, as a mark of respect for the man who taught them everything, finished the clock and insisted it be on display in the clockmaker's shop.

**12. Macabre Rider  
><strong>

**Arcana: Hanged Man**

**Resistances: None**

**Weaknesses: Ice, Wind**

**Skills: Zanma, Rakunda, Marakunda**

The Hanged Man of the Trauma Shadows, and also the rider of the Ixion Stallion. It is never seen apart from it's vehicle, and thus no knowledge on it's behaviour as an individual can be accurately obtained. It appears as a leather-clad rider, except with an eerie skeletal body and a dark hood. While it may be the rider of the Ixion Stallion, it appears to be the latter Shadow that controls movement. This may suggest that while the Rider is dependent on the Stallion to some level, the Stallion is free to do as it pleases. As for it's risk level and origin, consult the entry on the Ixion Stallion.

**13. Imprisoned Mummy  
><strong>

**Arcana: Death**

**Resistances: Dark (Repel)**

**Weakness: Fire, Light (Presumed)**

**Skills: Mudoon, Megidola, Hell's Judgment, Brain Shake, Zanma**

This Shadow is unique among the Trauma Shadows in that it actually has its own mask, as no other Shadow discovered appears to be of the Death Arcana, although there are rumours of a 'Grim Reaper' from time to time. It is a mummy, over ten feet in height, with a frankly ghastly appearance. The bandages are covered in blood, and the 'skin' exposed beneath them appears to be black with red glowing veins. Bandages appear to have been ripped off the face, which mercifully is covered by the aforementioned mask. Also, it appears to have broken shackles on it's legs and arms, and several of it's bones appear dislocated. Any Shadow it comes into contact with flees upon sight, and therefore no combat information can be derived. From this, it is considered incredibly high risk, due to the level of fear it creates in its brethren. Yet it seems very fearful if a Shadow attempts to use Hama, resulting in extreme panic.

Again, this Shadow is unique in that no specific or even possible origin story can be found that would explain it's appearance. Yet as it is an embodiment of Death, perhaps it is merely a manifestation of that. Indeed, it may very well be born from the fear of death itself.

**Conclusion**

We will continue to monitor these 13 Shadows and ensure sufficient data is gathered regarding their future actions. Future tests may involve the Ornatu Legion, if permission is granted to utilise them.


	5. Movelist

Throughout the story, I've given my characters plenty of unique moves to complement their SMT standard attacks, mostly because Rule of Cool. So there's a list of all of them! This includes Personifications, moves for the Trauma Shadows, and Unison Attacks.

Note: Originally, both Richard and Nathan had 'Air Brake', which I think was from a plan to have a shared pool of 'unique' attacks to the story. Which for me wasn't particularly creative, and much later I changed Nathan's version to Aeir Sosa. But anyway, here we go! This keeps getting updated, so nearly every chapter of Duality (well, the ones left) will add more!

**Unique Movelist**

* * *

><p><strong>Amara Furaha<strong>

**Initial Persona: **Hathor/Sekhmet

**Ultimate Persona**: Isis/Nepthys

**Arcana:** Sun

**Primary Elements:** Fire/Phys

**Date of Birth:** September 27th 1990

**Hobbies:** Art, Photography, Partying

**Relatives: **Rudo (Father), Ayodele (Mother), Tomas (Honorary Uncle), Zao (Boyfriend), Karl (Ex-Boyfriend)

_"To live is to always look forward."_

Sword Slice

- Low Phys damage to a single target. Grows stronger in higher temperatures (up to 5% extra).

Flare Hail

- 2-4x Low Fire damage to all targets.

Magma Cross

- 2x Low Fire/Phys damage to all targets.

Poison Steel

- Moderate Phys damage to a single target. 30% chance of Poison.

Ruby Ignition

- Moderate Fire damage to a single target. Raises user's Attack & Magic for 3 turns.

Sundial

- 3x Moderate Phys damage to a single target.

Force Sabre (Normal)

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target.

Sable Cross (Other)

- 2x Moderate Phys/Dark damage to all targets.

Tefnut's Raze (Both)

- Heavy Fire damage on a single target. Grows stronger in higher temperatures.

Heartful Cry (Normal)

- Heavy Almighty damage to all targets. Inherited from Zao.

Helios (Normal)

- Heavy Fire damage to all targets. Inflicts all targets with a single debuff they do not currently have. (Sukunda, Rakunda, Tarunda) Inherited from Zao.

Wiping All Out (Other)

- 4-5x Moderate Phys damage to a single target.

Danger Zone (Other)

- Heavy Phys damage to all targets. Temporarily restricts use of magic.

Gem's Shroud (Normal)

- Raises the defense of all allies, and protects them from one fire attack each.

Flare Bomber (Other)

- Plants a bomb on the target that, when it explodes, deals Fire damage equivalent to the amount of time it has been attached to the target. If left too long, the explosion will weaken in strength, thus Amara has to find the right moment then blow it up.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Desert Jewel_

- Massive Fire damage to all targets. Breaks all fire resistance.

* * *

><p><strong>Nathan Albion<strong>

**Initial Persona: **Setanta

**Ultimate Persona:** Cu Chulainn

**Arcana:** Strength

**Primary Elements:** Wind/Phys

**Date of Birth:** August 29th 1983

**Hobbies: **Golf, Theatre, Gardening

**Relatives:** Reginald (Father), Daphne (Mother), Priscilla (Fiance),

_"To live is to be brave for my loved ones."_

Aeir Sosa

- Low Wind damage to a single target. May reduce target's agility.

Lancer

- Low Phys damage to a single target. Grows stronger in higher wind speeds.

Zephyr Aria

- Moderate Wind damage to a single target. 40% chance of Silence.

Aero Thrust

- Moderate Phys damage to a single target.

Lugh's Warpath

- Moderate Phys damage to a single target. May cause Berserk.

Mór Gaoth

- Heavy Wind damage to a single target. May reduce target's defence.

Liath Macha

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target.

Gae Bolg

- Heavy Wind/Phys damage to a single target.

Brave Storm

- Heavy Wind damage to all targets, and allows Nathan to survive 1 KO with 1 HP remaining. (skills that attack more than once per turn will not KO him in this case, instead lowering his SP instead)

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Heroice Frenzy_

- Massive Wind damage to all targets. At the same time, this move does 5-7x Low Phys damage.

* * *

><p><strong>Serena Agnethe<strong>

**Initial Persona:** Artemis

**Ultimate Persona: **Selene

**Arcana: **Moon

**Primary Elements:** Water/Heal

**Date of Birth:** March 4th 1995

**Hobbies: **Video Gaming, Reading, Writing

**Relatives:** Fred (Father), Hilda (Mother), Nina (Older Sister), Kyle (Boyfriend)

_"To live is to make my dreams come true."_

Moonlit Arrow

- Low Phys damage on a single target. Damage increases if moon is waxing and decreases if moon is waning.

Heavy Rain

- Low Water damage on a single target. 10% chance of enemy's defence being decreased.

Prism Waters

- Moderate Water damage on a single target. Heals user by 30%.

Lunar Scope

- Moderate Phys damage to all targets x 4. Damage increases if moon is waxing and decreases if moon is waning.

Tranquil Sea

- Heavy Water damage to all targets. Cures all allies of Berserk, Confusion, Charm and Fear.

Moonstone Wave

- Heavy Water damage to all targets. Heals user by 60%, and allies by 30%.

Reservoir

- Creates a pool of water that will slowly regenerate Serena's health per turn. Can stack with Regenerate 1/2/3.

Aquarius

- Heavy Water damage to a single target. After use, the water is stored and thus Serena can use this attack once more without consuming SP, but only once per battle.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Tranquil Sea_

- Massive Water damage to all targets. Breaks all Water resistance.

* * *

><p><strong>Blaine Spencer<strong>

**Initial Persona:** Tlaloc

**Ultimate Persona:** Quetzalcoatl

**Arcana:** Magician

**Primary Elements:** Elec/Phys

**Date of Birth:** December 7th 1981

**Hobbies:** Motorcycling, Gym, Cooking

**Relatives:** Timothy (Father), Pauline (Mother), Dan (Best Friend and Honorary Brother), Matthew (Honorary Brother), Lucy (Girlfriend), Archibald (Honorary Uncle)

_"To live is to be loyal to your friends."_

Hammer Crush

- Low Phys damage on a single target. Damage increases in rain. (Up to 5%)

Infliction

- Moderate Phys damage to a single target.

Brutality

- 3x Moderate Phys damage to a single target.

Punishment

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target. Damage increases in rain. (Up to 15%)

Dark Bolt

- Low Elec/Dark damage on a single target. 5% chance of instant death.

Acid Volt

- Moderate Elec damage to a single target. 40% chance of Poison.

Stormy Ascent

- Heavy Elec damage to all targets. 30% chance of breaking Elec resistance.

Torment

- Heavy Phys/Elec damage to a single target. 30% chance of breaking Elec resistance.

Lightning Circuit

- Heavy Elec damage to a single target. 50% chance of lowering Agility.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Black Lightning_

- Massive Dark/Elec damage to all targets. Breaks all Elec resistance.

* * *

><p><strong>SeraphinaStella Cleon/Sophia White**

**Initial Persona:** Hecate

**Ultimate Persona:** Sophia

**Arcana:** Priestess

**Primary Elements:** Almighty/Analysis

**Date of Birth:** May 30th 1991

**Hobbies: **Stargazing, Fortune Telling, Acting

**Relatives: **Stella (Birth mother), Seraphina (Mother's partner), Unknown Father

_"To live is to always gain wisdom."_

Analysis

- Scans the target to examine their stats and weaknesses.

Supreme Analysis

- Scans the target to examine their stats, weaknesses, and abilities.

Maestro Analysis

- Scans the target to examine their stats, weaknesses, abilities, and the next ability they will use.

Inner Eye

- Detects where any Persona users Seraphina knows are located. Not a combat technique.

Shade Scanner

- Scans the nearby area/building to determine what Shadows are present. Not a combat technique.

Arcane Voice

- Enables Seraphina to speak to other Persona users within a certain range via telepathy. Not a combat technique. (As Seraphina grows stronger, so does the range. If the target no longer considers themselves on Seraphina's side, Arcane Voice is likely to fail, and will always do so with the Ater Vox.)

Stellar Vision

- Moderate Almighty damage to a single target. Grows stronger on starry nights.

Grimoire's Armada

- 3-6x Moderate Almighty damage to random targets.

Starry Heavens

-3-6x Heavy Almighty Damage to random targets.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Arcane Wisdom_

- Spheres of Heavy Almighty damage manifest all over the battlefield, and will only collide with enemy targets at random. If two or more spheres collide, there will be an explosion with even higher damage output.

* * *

><p><strong>Priscilla Lancaster<strong>

**Initial Persona:** Uathach

**Arcana:** Empress

**Primary Elements:** Ice/Light

**Date of Birth: **July 9th 1983

**Hobbies:** Flute, Chess, Shopping

**Relatives:** Sebastian (Father), Lavender (Mother), Nathan (Fiance)

_"To live is to never forget happiness."_

Frozen Tempest

- Moderate Ice damage to all targets.

Snowfield

- Heavy Ice damage to all targets. May reduce agility.

Aurora Borealis

- Heavy Ice/Light Damage to all targets. 50% chance of KO if targets are weak to Light.

Graceful Blizard

- 5x Moderate Ice damage to all targets. Will reduce agility.

Crystal Queen

- Heavy Ice damage to a single target.

Queen's Cannon

- Heavy Ice/Phys damage to one target. May deal low damage over the course of the battle. Only works with Scathach, as Uathach does not have the required weapon.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Blizzard of Alpi_

- Massive Ice damage to all targets. May cause Freeze.

* * *

><p><strong>Kyle McHale<strong>

**Initial Persona: **Hephaestus

**Arcana:** Hermit

**Primary Elements:** Fire/Earth

**Date of Birth:** July 23rd 1995

**Hobbies:** Video Gaming, Anime, Programming

**Relatives:** Cheri (Mother), Norman (Father), Serena (Girlfriend)

_"To live is to prove your worth."_

Searing Sequence

- 3-5x Low Phys/Fire damage to all targets.

Magma Sword

- Moderate Phys/Earth damage to one target.

Firebird

- Moderate Fire damage to one target.

Crushing Eagle

- Heavy Phys/Earth damage to one target.

Demon Crag

- Heavy Phys/Earth damage to all enemies. 30% chance of breaking Earth resistance.

Raging Rampart

- Heavy Earth damage to a single target. Will reduce defense.

Volcanic Divide

- Heavy Phys/Fire damage to one target. May cause Confusion or Poison.

Soaring Phoenix

- Heavy Fire damage to one target.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Sacred Forge_

- Massive Fire damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>Daniel Kingsley<strong>

**Initial Persona:** Tezcatlipoca (Tez)

**Ultimate Persona:** Mictlantehcuhtli (Mictlan)

**Arcana:** Hanged Man

**Primary Elements:** Dark/Elec

**Date of Birth: **April 15th 1980

**Hobbies: **Motorcycling, Brewing, Gym

**Family:** Rachael (Mother), David (Father), Matthew (Brother), Blaine (Honorary Brother), Shirley (Girlfriend)

_"To live is to move on from the past."_

Shadow Spark

- Moderate Elec damage on a single target. 10% chance of instant death.

Grim Embrace

- Moderate Dark damage to one target. Grows stronger if used on certain targets.

Cursed Swings

- 2-4x Low Phys/Dark damage to all targets.

Gullotine Fall

-2-3x Moderate Phys/Dark damage to a single target.

Soul Harvest

- 2x Heavy Phys damage to one target. Heals user by a portion of the damage.

Xibalba

- Moderate Dark damage to all targets. 40% chance of inflicting Fear.

Nocturnal Clutches

- Heavy Dark/Elec damage to a single target.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Bloody Blitz_

- Massive Dark/Elec damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>Alastair Clark<strong>

**Persona:** Michael

**Arcana:** Justice

**Primary Elements:** Light/Almighty

**Date of Birth:** April 26th 1986

**Hobbies:** Cooking, Decorating, Board Games

**Family:** Amanda (Mother), Graham (Father), Miranda (Girlfriend)

_"To live is to cherish time with friends."_

Sacred Feathers

- Low Light/Phys damage to all targets.

Golden Feathers

- Moderate Light/Phys damage to all targets.

Angel Plume

- Heavy Light/Phys damage to all targets.

Sacred Impact

- Heavy Light/Phys damage to a single target.

Saintly Steppe

- Heavy Light damage to a single target.

Empyrean Emissary

- Heavy Almighty damage to all targets.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Glorious Impact_

- Massive Light/Phys damage to a single target. Lowers all stats.

* * *

><p><strong>Bianca Summers<strong>

**Persona: **Gabriel

**Arcana:** Lovers

**Primary Elements:** Water/Ice

**Date of Birth:** January 1st 1989

**Hobbies: **Gardening, Swimming, Poetry

**Family: **Henri (Father), Siobhan (Mother), Sebastian (Uncle), Kazuya (Boyfriend)

_"To live is to tend to the beautiful world."_

Snowdrop

- Low Ice damage to all targets.

Lotus

- Moderate Water damage to all targets.

Water Lily

- Heavy Water damage to all targets.

White Rose

- Moderate Phys damage to a single target.

Red Rose

- 3-5x Low Phys damage to a single target.

Chrysanthumum

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target.

Nerine

- Heavy Ice damage to all targets.

Mistletoe

- Prevents the user from being damaged for one turn. Only one use per battle, and only available when user is in critical condition.

Plumeria

- Sacrifices half of the user's HP to fully restore an ally's SP.

Asphodel

- Innate skill. Counters any attack that KO's Bianca with the same damage and effects. Does not function if this hit all allies.

Protea

- Innate skill. Renders all allies on the field immune to Fear for one occasion.

Amaranth

- Innate skill. Renders all allies on the field immune to Charm for one occasion.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Sacred Wreath_

- 4-6x Heavy Water/Ice damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>Kazuya Miyazaki<strong>

**Persona: **Uriel

**Arcana:** Hierophant

**Primary Elements:** Fire/Elec

**Date of Birth:** June 29th 1988

**Hobbies: **Anime, Origami, Gaming

**Family:** Koetsu (Father), Reiko (Mother)

_"To live is to never back down from challenges."_

Heat Flash

- Low Fire/Elec damage to all targets.

Holy Pierce

- Low Phys damage to a single target.

Heaven Pyre

- Moderate Fire/Light damage to a single target.

Crusade

- 3-5x Moderate Phys damage to all targets.

Tonbogiri

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target.

Inspiration

- Heavy Elec/Light damage to a single target.

Sacred Flame

- Heavy Fire/Light damage to a single target.

Itami

- Casts random debuffs and ailments to one target. Can bypass Makarakarn.

Blue Flame

- Heavy fire damage to one target. May freeze them afterwards.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Revelation of Flames_

- Massive Fire damage to a single target. Deals Low Elec damage for five turns afterwards.

* * *

><p><strong>Richard Eden<strong>

**Persona:** Raphael

**Arcana: **Chariot

**Primary Elements:** Wind/Earth/Heal

**Date of Birth: **November 13th 1990

**Hobbies: **Soccer, Stand-Up Comedy, Paintball

**Family:** Owen (Father), Anne (Mother)

_"To live is to share laughter with others."_

Air Brake

- Low Wind damage on a single target. May reduce target's agility.

Swift Swallow

- Moderate Wind damage to a single target. Damage is affected by user's agility. (Sukukaja and Sukunda affect this too)

Gale Force

- Heavy Wind damage to all targets. May lower target's agility.

Stone of Burden

- Earth damage to a single target. Damage is equal to Max HP - Current HP.

Gentle Breeze

- Heals all allies. Grows stronger in higher wind speeds.

Breath of Life

- Revives KO'd target at 75% HP, and gives them a random benefit. This includes any -kaja affect, any Wall, Tetrakarn/Makakaran and Power/Mind Charge.

Ultraviolet Whirlwind

- Heavy Wind damage to a single target. Damage grows stronger by 5% for each Holy Cross comrade present.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Garden of Healing_

- Fully heals all allies, and cures them of negative status conditions. Will revive KO'd allies at 50% health.

* * *

><p><strong>Zao Yuria<strong>

**Persona:** Rashnu/Doppelganger

**Arcana:** Fool

**Primary Elements:** All/Mimicry

**Date of Birth:** 17th October 1990

**Date of Death:** 10th October 2012

**Hobbies: **Fishing, Dancing, Cooking

**Family:** Robin (Father), Diana (Mother), Deo (Grandfather), Amara (girlfriend)

_"To live is to smile for all eternity."_

Life Lock

- Temporarily restricted target's healing abilities. Passed on to Aimee.

Starfall

- 3-5x Moderate Light damage to all targets. Passed on to Aimee.

Astral Laser

- Heavy Light damage to a single target. Would bypass Light resistance. Passed on to Aimee.

Heartful Cry

- Heavy Almighty damage to all targets. Passed on to Amara.

Helios

- Heavy Fire damage to all targets. Would inflict all targets with a single debuff they did not currently have. (Sukunda, Rakunda, Tarunda) Passed on to Amara.

Bloody Destiny

- Heavy Dark/Phys damage to all targets. Passed on to Karl.

Mass Destruction

- 2x Heavy Phys damage x 2 on a single target. Chance of instant death if enemy was debuffed or under any ailment. Passed on to Karl.

Mimicry (Other)

- Turns Doppelganger into a Reverse version of the chosen target's Persona, completely copying all stats, resistances and abilities. Other Zao cannot attack unless Mimicy has been used. A similiar ability is used by the Blank Maya.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Final Fate_

- Massive Multi-Elemental damage to one target. Damage increases if target is weak to just one of the eight elements.

_Infnite Journey_

- Extreme damage to a single target. Purely non-elemental. Consumes 100% of Zao's SP and reduces his HP to 1. Requires at least one ally for every one of the Major Arcana, from Magician to Judgment.

_After Zao learned the latter six of his abilities, he lost the ability to use any of his original skills._

_After Zao's death, these skills have been inherited by those dearest to him - Amara, Aimee, and Karl. Final Fate is available to those three as a Unison Attack, albeit with reduced power._

* * *

><p><strong>Aimee Davenport<strong>

**Initial Persona:** Irene

**Ultimate Persona:** Concordia

**Arcana:** Star

**Primary Elements:** Healing

**Date of Birth:** June 21st 1994

**Hobbies: **Tea, Baking, Clay Modelling

**Family:** John (Father), Tracy (Mother), Karl (Brother)

_"To live is to bring peace with every step."_

Stardust March

-Heals all allies by a huge amount. Will also randomly increase one of their stats, as well as improving their critical rate.

Lost Legacy

- 99% chance of killing a single target, regardless of Light or Dark resistance. Some targets may not be killed by this, however, and instead it will inflict Heavy Almighty damage.

Shadow Flare

- Heavy Dark/Fire damage to a single target.

Trinity Nebula

- 3 x Moderate Almighty damage to random targets.

Celestial Force

-Raises everyone's stats, and prevents the boost from being removed via Dekaja.

Fairy Whisper

-Fully heals (and if KO'd, revives at full HP) a single target and cures them of status effects. May randomly inflict Silence on a target as well.

Angel Kiss

- Innate skill. Once per battle, will revive Aimee at full HP. If already used, will revive her at 25-50% HP, and will only have 50% chance of triggering.

Septentrione

- Uses one of the following nine effects. I-VIII have a 12% chance of occuring each, while IX has 4% and requires the other effects to have been used at least once before it can be triggered.

I: Dubhe

-Heavy Fire damage to a single target. May reduce Defence.

II: Merak

-Heavy Elec damage to a single target. May reduce Agility.

III: Phecda

-Heavy Ice damage to a single target. May freeze the target, ala Permafrost.

IV: Megrez

-Heavy Wind damage to a single target. May increase their susceptability to status effects, ala Stagnant Air/Foncé Aroma.

V: Alioth

-Heavy Water damage to a single target. May inflict Poison.

VI: Mizar

-Heavy Dark damage to a single target. May instantly kill target, and guaranteed to do so if they have a Dark weakness.

VII: Alcor

-Heavy Light damage to a single target. May instantly kill target, and guaranteed to do so if they have a Light weakness.

VIII: Alkaid

-Heavy Earth damage to a single target. May bypass and break Tetrakarn, Makarakarn, or any Wall.

IX: Polaris

-Massive Almighty damage to all targets. Instantly activates Mind Charge prior to use.

Life Lock

- Temporarily restricts target's healing abilities. Inherited from Zao.

Starfall

- 3-5x Moderate Light damage to all targets. Inherited from Zao.

Astral Laser

- Heavy Light damage to a single target. Bypasses Light resistance. Inherited from Zao.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Eternal Peace_

- Fully heals the entire party, cures all status effects, and fully restores their SP (except the user, who loses 99% of theirs)

* * *

><p><strong>Karl Davenport<strong>

**Initial Persona: **Alexander

**Ultimate Persona:** Aeneas

**Arcana:** Fortune

**Primary Elements: **Phys

**Date of Birth: **August 11th 1990

**Hobbies:** Soccer, Boxing, Camping

**Family:** John (Father), Tracy (Mother), Aimee (Sister)

_"To live is to protect what's important."_

Mighty Braver

- 3x Moderate Phys damage to a single target.

Hero's Steel

- Casts Tarukaja to user without consuming SP. However, Karl can only use this on himself.

Orichalcum

- Casts Matarukaja without consuming SP. However, Karl can only use this once per battle.

Shining Blade

- Light + Phys damage to multiple targets.

Spirit Breaker

- Moderate Phys damage to a single target. Breaks through any Wall, yet does nothing if no Wall present.

Valour

- Cures a single ally of Fear without consuming SP. Cannot be used on user.

Guardian's Oath

- After use, will protect the chosen target from fatal blows, elements they are weak to, status ailments and debuffs for the remainder of the battle.

Gallant Gladius

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target. Karl will receive any positive stat change they have.

Solemn Stiletto

- Heavy Phys damage to all targets. Reduces a random stat.

Hat Trick

- 3x Heavy Phys damage to all targets.

Mass Destruction

- 2x Heavy Phys damage to a single target. Chance of instant death if enemy is debuffed or under any ailment. Inherited from Zao.

Bloody Destiny

- Heavy Dark/Phys damage to all targets. Inherited from Zao.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Symphony of Swords_

- 5x Heavy Phys damage to one target. No hit will miss.

* * *

><p><strong>Lucille Victoria Crossman<strong>

**Initial Persona:** Inanna

**Ultimate Persona: **Ishtar

**Arcana: **Devil

**Primary Elements:** Fire/Phys

**Date of Birth: **March 28th 1991

**Hobbies: **Writing, Dancing,Cycling

**Family:** Simon (father), Elaine (mother), Edmond (cousin), Blaine (boyfriend)

_"To live is to never stop achieving."_

A journalism student that hails from Sacremento, California. While very dedicated to her craft, and responsible for starting a school newspaper, she has never been particularly good at socialising. She can be rude, argumentative, stubborn, and often will try to 'change' the other person. This has caused her to lose many friends over the years, and as such she was not very popular when she finished school. Even in her love life, she suffered many setbacks, due to attracting many men solely because of her looks, only for them to be turned off by her flaws. She tries to shrug it off, but deep down she despairs over being so lonely and dealing with breakups over and over again.

Her one confidante, however, is Shirley. They met during Lucy's family vacation when they were young, and despite a shaky start, the two became quite close fast. They decided to become pen pals, and thus Lucy kept writing to Shirley about how her life was going. Eventually, when it came to her college education, Lucy decided she'd had enough with the USA, and wanted to go back to New Motus again. And Shirley decided that they might as well become flatmates together. From that point on, the girls lived together in a small apartment, and despite a few daily 'fights', the two are pretty happy.

Lucy has tried to bond with her Real People colleagues, despite her grievances with them. Amara, in particular, has a completely different work ethic that irritated her to no end. One evening, she went out with Colette, Sheila and Stella, meeting at The Mole beforehand. She quickly disliked this venue, yet the man at the bar caught her interest. He looked quite fit, had quite a stubbly face, and his hair was just the right length in her eyes. Speaking of which, she couldn't help but notice his. Ones that had seen hard times, but kept some kind of wanderlust. To avoid looking desperate, she pretended to be aggressive, only for her to finally tell him - in her own way - how attractive she thought he was. Later that evening, however, she told Shirley her true feelings - while quite inebriated.

Heatsroke

-Small Phys/Fire damage to a single target.

Flame Havoc

- Moderate Phys/Fire damage to a single target.

Ravaging Hell

- Moderate Phys/Fire damage to all targets. May reduce defence.

Crazy Cutter

- 5-9 x Low Phys damage to random targets. May cause Confusion.

Burning Obsession

- May inflict Charm to all targets, and renders them weak to Fire for a short time.

Passion Ablaze

- Heavy Fire damage to one target. Damage increases by 5-10% if Blaine is fighting alongside Lucy.

Gilded Gown

- Increases the party's Defense and Agility, and also protects them against Fire.

Amor Leonis

- Heavy Fire damage to all targets. Damage increases by 5% for every target afflicted by a status effect or debuff.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Kiss In The Dark_

- Massive Fire damage to all targets. 30% chance of inflicting Charm.

* * *

><p><strong>Shirley Evens<strong>

**Initial Persona: **Rhiannon

**Ultimate Persona:** Ceridwen

**Arcana:** Death

**Primary Elements: **Light/Dark

**Date of Birth:** February 15th 1990

**Hobbies:** Piano, Singing, Crosswords

**Family:** Dennis (Father), Phillipa (Mother), Dan (boyfriend)

_"To live is to always find new experiences."_

Phantom Edge

- Moderate Dark/Phys damage to a single target. 50% chance of instant death.

Mirage Sabre

- Heavy Dark/Phys damage to a single target. 66% chance of instant death.

Bright Fear

- Heavy Light damage to a single target. 50% chance of inflicting Fear.

Paranoia Impulse

- Heavy Light damage to all targets. 30% chance of inflicting Fear.

Grieving Rune

- Moderate Dark damage to a single target.

Nocturnal Seal

- Heavy Dark damage to all targets. 30% chance of inflicting Silence or Exhaustion.

Nightmare

- Heavy Dark damage to one target, with a small chance of KO. May prevent a target from taking any kind of action for one turn. If they attempt to do anything but Guard, they will take severe damage.

Taliesen's Tale

- Heavy Light damage to one target. If the target later attempts to increase their stats, the reverse will happen instead.

Enchanting Awen

- Doubles the damage of the user's next magic attack, and also increases Agility.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Noson o Anobaith_ (Night of Despair)

- Massive Dark damage to all targets. May cause targets to lose concentration when casting spells.

* * *

><p><strong>Roger Martin<strong>

**Initial Persona:** Kanaloa

**Ultimate Persona:** Apsu

**Arcana: **Emperor

**Primary Elements:** Water/Light

**Date of Birth:** September 13th 1977

**Hobbies: **Theater (plays, musicals, opera, etc), Classic Movies, Badminton

**Family:** Bill (Father), Nancy (Mother), Oliver (Uncle), Karen (girlfriend). You might notice a theme with the first three names. :P

_"To live is to always push myself to the limit."_

Wave Rage

- 2-4x Low Water damage to all targets.

Impaling Havoc

- 3x Low Phys damage to one target.

Laguna Rush

- Moderate Water damage to all targets. May raise user's Agility.

Kraken Lance

- Moderate Phys damage to one target. May break Water resistance.

Ocean Stampede

- Heavy Water damage to all targets. May raise user's Defence.

Grave Scourge

- Heavy Phys damage to one target. May reduce Defence.

Fjord Tempest

- Heavy Water damage to one target. May raise user's Attack.

Scintillation

- Light damage to one target. The attack's strength depends on Roger's remaining SP, and will KO a target if it is exactly 0.

Deep Sea Dirge

- Phys damage to all targets. The attack's strength depends on the amount of Water attacks used prior, reaching maximum power after seven spells. (These attacks must be purely water based.)

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Kai E'e_ (Tidal Wave in Hawaiian)

- Massive Water damage to all targets. 75% chance of inflicting Poison, Confusion, Fear or Rage.

* * *

><p><strong>Karen Marshall<strong>

**Persona: **Aeshma

**Arcana: **Tower

**Primary Elements:** Ice/Dark

**Date of Birth:** May 4th 1978

**Hobbies:** Theatre, Shopping, Hair Styling

**Family:** Ken (father), Roxanne (Mother), Roger (boyfriend)

_"To live is to lead others away from ruin."_

Tundra Flair

- Moderate Ice damage to all targets.

Icy Mirror

- Moderate Ice damage to a single target. Casts Tetrakarn or Makarakarn on user.

Cursed Image

- Low Dark damage to a single target. Yet, if target uses Hama/Mudo on the user after this is used, the attack will repeat again, twice as powerful as before.

Psyche Breaker

- Can disrupt Power/Mind Charge, as well as Tarukaja. However, may not always work.

Black Ice

- Heavy Ice/Dark damage to a single target. May Freeze them as well. (Similar effect to Permafrost)

Frozen Heart

- Prevents the target from using any enhancement spells.

Hypothermia

- Heavy Ice damage to a single target. May inflict Silence.

Harrowing Hex

- Prevents the target from blocking, and also forces them to become weak against Dark skills for a short time.

Void Sniper

- High chance of instant KO to one target. Dark based. Will deal Dark damage if target resists death.

Arctic Absorption

- Absorbs a large amount of HP from the target. The amount goes up if target is weak to Ice.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Tearful Reflection_

- Massive Ice damage to all targets. Breaks through all defence.

* * *

><p><strong>Tara Miller<strong>

**Initial Persona:** Maká

**Ultimate Persona:** Chehooit

**Arcana: **Temperance

**Primary Elements: **Earth/Heal

**Date of Birth: **April 24th 1984

**Hobbies: **Violin, Travelling, Karaoke

**Family:** Laurence (Father), Edna (Mother), Adrian (fiance)

_"To live is to unite the people of the world."_

Gaia Pillars

- Moderate Earth damage to all targets.

Blessed Soil

- Moderate Earth damage to a single target. Heals user by 40%.

Terra Idol

- Moderate Earth damage to a single enemy. 33% chance of Fear.

Beloved Meadow

- Heals all allies by a large amount. Doubles damage of next Earth attack by any ally.

Precious Land

- Heavy Earth damage to all targets. 33% chance of setting up Counter.

Walled Garden

- Protects all allies from physical attacks for a short period. Reduces magic damage by 20%.

Gaea's Quagmire

- Reduces the enemy's agility and lowers the damage of their Earth attacks.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Pangaea Dawn_

- Massive Earth damage to all targets, while healing all allies by 50% health.

* * *

><p><strong>Matthew Kingsley<strong>

**Initial Persona: **Acolnahuacatl (Acol)

**Ultimate Persona:** Ehecatl

**Arcana:** Judgment

**Primary Elements:** Wind/Phys

**Date of Birth:** January 25th 1992

**Hobbies: **Seashell Collecting, Bird watching, TV Cop shows

**Family:** Rachael and David (parents), Dan (brother), Blaine (honorary brother)

_"To live is to bring justice to the innocent."_

Storm Claw

- 3-5x Low Phys/Wind damage to an enemy. 33% chance of Paralysis.

Hyper Strike

- 3-4x Low Phys damage, followed by a stronger final attack.

Gale Claw

- 3x Moderate Phys damage to all targets. May break Wind resistance.

Hunting Pride

-3-5x Moderate Phys/Wind damage to an enemy. 33% chance of Exhaustion.

Berserker

-3-4x Moderate damage, followed by a strong final attack.

Tornado Beast

-3 x Heavy Phys/Wind damage to all targets. May break Wind resistance.

Primal Twister

- Heavy Wind damage to all targets. Increases user's Attack, but reduces Accuracy.

Hunting Beast

- Reduces the target's agility, and may cause Fear.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Primal Vortex_

- 5x Low Wind/Phys damage to all targets, followed by a Massive Wind/Phys hit. Voids resistances.

* * *

><p><strong>Keisha Vivaldi<strong>

**Initial Persona:** Lorelei

**Ultimate Persona:** Euterpe

**Arcana:** Devil

**Primary Elements:** Varied

**Date of Birth:** April 2nd 1989

**Date of Death:** December 21st 2012 - Killed by the Aeterna Vitra's explosion

**Hobbies: **Music, Theatre, Fine Dining

**Family:** Sonia & Mark (parents)

_"To live is to find one's happy ending."_

Keisha Vivaldi in the Normal World is a quiet, reserved secretary to Roger Martin. Rather intelligent and cultured, she loves going to the theater, especially opera. She bears a grudge towards Richard, however, due to his family wronging hers and taking over their family business.

In the Other World, Keisha appeared to be a spunky, energetic girl who was friendly to everyone she met. She revealed she used to be friends with thieves, but has turned a new leaf and wanted to be of use to the group. However, she was secretely vengeful towards Roger, seeking to kill him for what he did to her thief friends Nicholas and Bradley. Sadly, the truth on what happened to them was far worse than she could imagine - Tomas Weiken had subjected them to inhumane torture, and used their shattered psyches to create Personas of high strength. After suffering through a Divine Spark, she lost all her identity, wandering through her past life without understanding any of it. Yet after witnessing her past self awaken to Lorelei, she was restored, and soon joined Nihane Kronos as one of his Last Soldiers.

She revealed this to Matthew to his shock, and also that she had no love for him. He simply did not care about anything other than charming her. They battled, but she lost, and retreated. Several times after this, she wound up aiding the rebels again during the raid on Inanis and the Interitus Legion Compound. After witnessing Zao's death, and also what Nihane did to the Ater Vox, she wished she had never betrayed her former friends. Kaman also defected, but soon revealed to her what his true aim was - and she readily joined him in his plans. They became true companions, and she also regretted her past actions with Matthew. He and Tara aided them in their duel with the Temptress Shadow, and she was proud of how he handled himself.

On the Day of Judgment, December 21st, it was finally revealed what Kaman's true reason for betraying the group was. He and Keisha were welcomed back, and she and Matthew made their peace. She also decided to forgive Roger - although that was mostly due to a troubling fact they had unearthed. Destroying the generator was necessary to stop Nihane's final Divine Spark - but it had become tethered to the Diva Shadow, meaning unless it was defeated, the generator would not be destroyed. And defeating the Diva would result in the generator being overloaded, causing a gigantic explosion it would not be possible to escape from.

Keisha and Kaman, with a heavy heart each, accepted that they would be the ones to do this deed. In her last moments, she contacted Matthew via phone, and held back her tears. She wanted to be with him on their ascent to fight Nihane, but it could never happen. She proclaimed to him her love, and blew him a kiss. With this done, she and Kaman drove her blades into the Diva, killing it for good. Their sacrifices will never be forgotten, and Matthew will never stop loving her.

Aria Di Sorbetto

- Moderate - Heavy Ice damage to a single target. Raises user's Agility.

Cabaletta

- Raises the target's defence whilst curing them of all status effects.

Cantibile

- Cures Mute for a single target and doubles the damage of their next attack.

Ritornello

- Prolongs the duration of -kaja spells cast within three turns of the spell for one extra turn.

Portamento

- Shares user's postive status changes with the entire party.

Monodrama

- Moderate - Heavy Almighty damage to a single target. Raises user's Attack/Magic.

Tessitura

- Raises target's defence. If target is KO'd, they are revived with 50% HP.

Vibrato

- Moderate - Heavy Elec damage to a single target. Decreases target's Attack/Magic.

Diva

- Heals target by a large amount of HP and cures their status effects.

Verismo

- Heavy Dark damage to a single target. High chance of inflicting Fear.

Operetta

- Heavy Light damage to a single target. May reduce all stats.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Overture_

- Massive Almighty damage to all targets. Casts Tarukaja on user afterwards.

_Keisha is the only character to not use any common abilities. Aria Di Sorbetto, Vibrato and Monodrama grow stronger with Keisha's skill level._

* * *

><p><strong>Kaman Barrs<strong>

**Initial Persona: **Chandra

**Ultimate Persona:** Soma

**Arcana:** Death

**Primary Elements:** Water/Wind

**Date of Birth: **January 10th 1979

**Date of Death:** December 21st 2012 - Killed by the Aterna Vitra's explosion

**Hobbies: **Brewing, card games (Poker is his favourite), bottle collecting

**Family:** Edgar and Padma (Parents), Maria (Wife)

_"To live is to hold on to beloved memories."_

Kaman Barrs is a half-Indian man with a great mind for business and serving customers. His dream was to run the greatest bar in New Motus City, one that everyone would want to go to with friends. Currently, he has recently opened the Motus Lounge after selling off his first pub, The Mole. It remains the underdog in the nightlife scene, but he has sought out the best barstaff he can get. Thus, he gave Blaine a trial run, and now he is one of his foremost barmen. Kaman himself is something of a charmer, with his rugged good looks and amiable nature, but the love of his life is his dearly beloved wife, Maria. However, they are struggling with their greatest desire - having children. It is difficult for them to conceive naturally, and they spent a lot of money on IVF to no avail. He wishes that they could have at least one child, so he and his sweetheart can have their family.

Life in the Other World was not kind to Kaman. Not long after the Shadows arrived, Maria was tragically killed during the night. He gave up on trying, letting his bar become a homeless shelter. Another lost soul called Daniel Kingsley, however, he could relate to. He had lost his beloved baby brother. Over the next eight years, they managed to build up a sort of friendship, which mostly involved giving Dan weak measures of alcohol so he wouldn't drink himself to death. He later hired Shirley Evens to play piano, in a misguided attempt to class up the dingy joint.

Life stagnated for him, while Dan met up with Kyle McHale and became a rebel Persona user. He was jealous, and this grew to sheer hatred when Matthew appeared in The Mole with Dan - having been alive all this time. Kaman decided to sell Dan out to Aeternus, in the desperate hope that they would grant his request to resurrect Maria. However, Dan stopped coming after a failed declaration of love to Shirley, and so he attempted to force Shirley to bring Dan back. Carlos arrived, however, and abducted Shirley. During this event, Kaman awakening to his Persona Chandra. If Aimee had not come on the scene to rescue him, he would have died in the resulting explosion. The Mole was now a hole in the ground, but he took one last memento of his wife with him.

He stayed with the group for a few months after that. While some of the rebels got on his nerves, he started to let go of his resentment, and soon became a drinking companion of Dan again. Sometimes, it felt like he was really doing something worthwhile, and he could make a difference. Yet it was during Zao's death that he realised that the group needed top-secret information on what Aeternus was planning to do. Therefore, he staged a betrayal, letting only Aimee in on the plan. He managed to convince Keisha to help him too, and they gained some very crucial information.

On the Day of Judgment, he finally was able to reveal the truth to all his old friends. They found it in them to forgive him, and he gladly told them where the Ater Vox were hiding, and how to stop the next Divine Spark. To do so, he and Keisha went to destroy the Generator - knowing that doing so would kill them both in the process. During his final moments, he thought of his wife, and then of all his new friends. Wishing them well, he and Keisha used her swords to deal the final blow. As the explosion happened, he shut his eyes, with no regrets. His sacrifice would never be forgotten. Dan and Matthew personally arranged statues of him and Keisha to be sculpted in the Pride Square, which would receive a grand redesign to commemorate the downfall of Aeternus and the rebirth of the City.

Kaleidogale

- Moderate Wind damage to all targets.

Deva Burst

- Heavy Phys damage to one target.

Rajanipati

- Heavy Water damage to all targets.

Kshuparaka

- Heavy Wind damage to single target. Random chance of random status effects.

Karka

- 2x Moderate Phys damage to a single target.

Tingala

- Replinishes a target's SP. Amount depends on Kaman's overall status. (Ie, if he is in perfect health, they'll be almost completely restored. If he's in critical condition, they'll get nearly nothing.)

Hundred Hymns

- Cures all targets of Silence or Berserk.

Ayurveda

- Enchances all of Kaman's stats, and also temporarily protects him against Almighty attacks.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Death By Moonlight_

- Massive Water/Wind damage to all targets. Heals Kaman by 50% HP, and cures him of any negative status conditions.

(Note: Technically, the Rigveda's Soma Mandala has 114 Hymns praising Soma's qualities...but saying Hundred And Fourteen Hymns is a bit clunky. XD)

* * *

><p><strong>Rudo Furaha<strong>

**Persona:** Nebiros (Nick)

**Arcana:** VOID (Emperor)

**Primary Elements:** Ice

**Date of Birth:** March 30th 1956

**Date of Death: **September 28th 2012 - Defeated by his daughter Amara

**Hobbies: **Wine Tasting, Gardening, Architecture

**Family:** Ayodele (Wife), Amara (Daughter)

_"To live is to watch over the next generation."_

Ring Blade

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target.

Death Call

- May revive fallen allies and render them immune to instant death.

Cocytus

- Heavy Ice/Water damage to all targets.

Circle of Pain

- Heavy Phys damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>Tomas Weiken<strong>

**Persona:** Belial (Brad)

**Arcana:** VOID (Magician)

**Primary Elements: **Fire/Dark

**Date of Birth:** June 1st 1944

**Date of Death:** September 28th 2012 - Destroyed by Nihane's Erasure

**Hobbies:** Science, History, Walking

**Family:** None - all deceased or distant

_"To live is to never be beneath others."_

Gomorrah Fire

- Heavy Dark/Fire damage to all targets. Will reduce Defence.

Reaping Rondo

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target.

False Saviour

- Drains a high amount of HP from all targets, and heals the user's party.

Shattering Serenade

- Heavy Phys damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>Archibald Ebert<strong>

**Persona: **Thor (later fused within his artificially generated body)

**Arcana: **VOID (Hermit)

**Primary Elements:** Elec/Almighty

**Date of Birth: **March 27th 1947

**Date of Biological Death:** October 12th 2012

**Date of Final Death: **December 22nd 2012

_"To live is to look back on happier days."_

Thunder Cannon

- Moderate Elec damage to one target.

Dynamo Barrage

- Heavy Elec damage to one target.

Var Mjolnir

- Moderate Elec/Almighty damage to all targets. Breaks through Elec resistance.

Krevad Mjolnir

- Heavy Elec/Almighty damage to all targets. Breaks through Elec resistance.

Blitz Sphere

- Heavy Elec damage to all targets.

Megingjard

- Creates an energy barrier around all allies with the properties of Makarakarn, Tetrakarn, and Rakukaja.

Jarngreipr

- 2x Heavy Phys damage to one target.

Cyber Catastrophe

- Heavy Elec/Phys damage to all targets.

**FALSIFICATION**

_Vingthor_

- Massive Elec damage to all targets. Voids resistances.

* * *

><p><strong>Nina Agnethe<strong>

**Persona: **Hel

**Arcana: **VOID (Lovers)

**Primary Elements:** Ice/Light/Dark

**Date of Birth:** October 9th 1978

**Date of Biological Death:** October 12th 2012

**Date of Final Death: **December 22nd 2012

_"To live is to find a place one can call home."_

Icicle Pain

- Moderate Ice damage to all targets.

Permafrost

- A block of ice traps a target for several turns, gradually causing Ice damage. The block can be broken with considerable effort.

Chilling Massacre

- Heavy Phys damage to Permafrost-affected targets only. Fails otherwise.

Hailstone Tempest

-2-5x Moderate Ice damage to all targets.

Avalanche

- Heavy Ice damage to all targets.

Winter Warhead

- Heavy Ice damage to a single target. May restrict use of Fire attacks.

Albedo

- Heavy Light damage to one target.

Nigredo

- Heavy Dark damage to one target.

Abkuhlen (Cool Off)

- Reduces all stats for one target, and renders them Weak to Ice regardless of any protective measure.

**FALSIFICATION**

_Helheim_

- Heavy Ice/Dark damage to all targets. High chance of instant KO.

* * *

><p><strong>Josephine Johnson<strong>

**Persona: **Cybele

**Arcana:** VOID (Devil)

**Primary Elements:** Earth/Healing

**Date of Birth:** May 2nd 1960

**Date of Biological Death:** October 12th 2012

**Date of Final Death:** December 22nd 2012

_"To live is to never lose beauty & love with time."_

Tempest Cutter

-2-4x Small Phys damage to one target.

Alluring Blade

- 2x Moderate Phys damage to one target. Slight chance of Charm.

Blood Sword

- 2x Moderate Phys damage to one target. User absorbs the damage dealt by each strike.

Miliardo Pales

- 10x Low Phys damage to one target.

Sinful Earth

- Moderate Earth damage to all targets.

Terra Lapsis

- Heavy Earth damage to all targets. 50% of lowering defence.

Vile Upheaval

- Heavy Earth damage to one target. Prevents target from being able to use any kaja, kunda or similar move for a time.

Salt The Earth

Destructa Terra

Matar Kubileya

**FALSIFICATION**

_Terra Fatali_

- Massive Earth damage to all targets. Throughout the rest of the battle, small aftershocks may occur that deal Low Earth damage.

* * *

><p><strong>Carlos Nadal<strong>

**Persona:** Venti

**Arcana:** VOID (Strength)

**Primary Elements: **Wind/Phys

**Date of Birth: **July 14th 1975

**Date of Biological Death: **October 12th 2012

**Date of Final Death:** December 22nd 2012

_"To live is to see one's legacy carry on."_

Skyward Dragon

- Moderate Phys damage to all targets. User can move again immediately afterward.

Soaring Flash

- Moderate Phys damage to a single target. Chance of landing a critical hit increased.

Wind Fist

- Heavy Phys/Wind damage to a single target.

Tornado Strike

- Heavy Wind damage on all targets. Forces targets to share negative status changes and ailments.

Air Smash

- Heavy Phys/Wind damage to all targets.

Airborne Melee

- 3-5x Phys/Wind damage to a single target.

Septentrio

- 7 x Low Phys attacks to random targets.

Favonius

- Heals Carlos by a moderate amount of HP and SP.

Auster

- Lowers all enemy stats, and will fog up the area.

Subsolanus

- Heavy Wind damage to one target. Also sharply decreases Luck.

Matador's Capote

- Sharply increases all stats.

**FALSIFICATION**

_Hurricane Brawl_

- Massive Multi-Hit Phys/Wind damage combo on all opponents. If Power Charge is active before use, it will stay active after the attack is over.

* * *

><p><strong>Pierre Leonard<strong>

**Persona: **Loki

**Arcana: **VOID (Magician)

**Primary Elements:** Fire/Illusion

**Date of Birth:** November 30th 1976

**Date of Biological Death:** October 12th 2012

**Date of Final Death:** December 22nd 2012

_"To live is to let everyone be free."_

Elemental Roulette

- Changes users moveset to eight elemental spells, and changes resistances when spells are used.

Defiant Quartet

- Creates three identical copies of the user. They may differ very slightly from the original, however.

Harlequin's Veil

- Makes user invisible. Those with a keen eye may be able to sense user's presence.

Blasted Blockade

- Sets up four invisible barriers to form a rotating invisible cube around the user that if struck, will cause a Moderate Fire damage explosion.

Candle of Contempt

- Causes a small flicker of flame in the centre of the battlefield - but if one steps over it, it will trigger Heavy Fire damage.

Foncé Aroma

- Increases the target's susceptibility to status effects. Unlike Stagnant Air, does not affect the user or their party.

Cruelle Couer

- Heavy Dark damage to a single target, with a 40-60% chance of Poison.

Peur Lumiére

- Heavy Fire damage to a single target, with a 40-60% chance of Fear.

Flamme Mauvais

- Heavy Fire damage to all targets. 50-70% chance of causing Exhaustion.

Bloody Roar

- Heavy Dark damage to all targets. 50-70% chance of causing Enervation.

Colère Rouge

- Guaranteed Rage on one target.

**FALSIFICATION**

_Aesir's Demise_

- Massive Fire damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>Nihane Kronos<strong> (Ethan Walters)

**'Persona': **Janus (M and F)

**Arcana:** VOID

**Primary Elements: **All (Janus M uses Phys, Fire, Elec, Earth, Dark. Janus F uses Heal, Ice, Wind, Water, Light. Both of them combine to use Almighty.)

**Date of Birth: **December 26th 1979

**Date of 'Rebirth':** June 30th 2001 (When he became Nihane, not Ethan)

**Date of Death: **December 22nd 2012 (biological body taken by Ethan, his Normal World self)

_"To live is to never be defeated."_

Dragon Heartbeat (M)

- Heavy Fire damage to one target.

Shimmering Wasteland (F)

- Heavy Ice damage to one target.

Cloud of Doom (M)

- Heavy Elec damage to one target.

Air of Retribution (F)

- Heavy Wind damage to one target.

Sinking Mountain (M)

- Heavy Earth damage to one target.

Dead Sea (F)

- Heavy Water damage to one target.

Feared Curse (M)

- High chance of KO. Dark based.

Expulsion of the Noble (F)

- High chance of KO. Light based.

Vermillion Edge (M)

- Heavy Phys damage to one target.

Crimson Riot (M)

- 2-5x Moderate Phys damage to all targets.

Scarlet Crusade (M)

- Heavy Phys damage to all targets.

Pulse of Life (F)

- Heals Nihane by a heavy amount.

Rightful Purity (F)

- Removes any negative status effect Nihane may have, include -unda effects.

Peerless Ascent (F)

- Gives Nihane all three kaja effects, and also Power and Mind Charge.

Broken Soul (B)

- Makes a single target weak to all elements for one turn. Breaks through resistances.

Midnight Dawn (B)

- Heavy Light/Dark damage to a single target.

Rapture (B)

- Heavy Almighty damage to a single target. 50% chance of KO.

Judgment (B)

- Heavy Almighty damage to all targets. 25% chance of KO. Will not kill more than 3 targets.

**FALSIFICATION**

_Equinox_

- Massive Light/Dark damage to all targets.

_Erasure_

- Massive Almighty damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>Ethan Walters<strong> (Nihane Kronos)

**Persona: **Sraosha

**Arcana:** Aeon

**Primary Elements:** Miscellaneous

**Date of Birth:** December 26th 1979

**Date of 'Death':** June 7th 2002 (his soul currently inhabits his Other World self, aka Nihane)

_"To live is to never forget who you are."_

Ethan was born in Birmingham, England, to descendants of the long-forgotten Kronos nobility from Amurdad, New Motus City. His parents died in a motor accident caused by a truck, leaving him to grow up in an orphanage. There, he found it difficult to bond with anyone, instead spending his time alone reading. He was not told his parents were dead, and thus clung to idealistic fantasies of his mother and father (Isabelle and Finn) coming to take him home. When he overheard the workers discussing his parents, he learned the strength, and withdrew even further. At the age of 16, he moved to New Motus City to live in a student dormitory. He still found it hard to get along with people, and resigned himself to the fact that he may face adulthood in isolation.

However, when he progressed to university and began living in a student flat, he took a walk through Aurelia Park to take in its beauty. There, a little girl called Amara Furaha was crying her eyes out over being unable to find her mother's ankh. Finding himself drawn to this girl, he took it upon himself to find it. She responded with eternal gratitude, and promised to draw him a nice picture. Although he hid it, Ethan was glad to have found a friend for the first time in his life. He graduated from university, and managed to find work at Aeternus. There, he befriended Archibald Ebert, one of the company's lead programmers, and became part of his secret project to develop a new wireless internet standard based on a theory. The four other talented workers were Nina Agnethe, Josephine Johnson, Pierre Leonard and Carlos Nadal. All of them became very close with each other in a short amount of time, spending their off-hours together.

However, Ethan's happiness was cut short when an experiment went awry, and a Shadow emerged from a computer. In the ensuing chaos, Ethan discovered his Persona Sraosha, and used it to fight. Right after this, he fainted, and was taken to the dormant empty world of Inanis, where Janus resided. Ethan was told the truth of his origins, and what his 'true' name was. Ethan's inner weakness gave in easily to their influence, and he would take the name Nihane Kronos, leader of Amurdad from that day onward. Sraosha was completely locked away in his heart, replaced by the false Persona of Janus. This marked the end of the current project, as Nihane convinced his associates to make use of the Shadows he could bring into the world as a power source for amazing things. Soon after, he told them of the Eternal Road project, and offered them the chance to join in.

All the plans fell into place. On the day of the Networking Exhibition, Aeternus would unveil their Neo Dimension Door to the guests, then use that event to have Shadows attack them. After this, the city would be raised from the ground and sealed off from the world, so Inanis could take on a physical plane and grow as necessary for the Eternal Road to happen. The plan after this was to make six events called Divine Sparks happen in each district of the city, which would unleash masses of Shadow power in certain points. Once all six were done, there would be unlimited power, and Nihane could use it to erase all of existence and replace it with his own world, where Amurdad existed and no other settlement.

Alas, Archibald and Nina suddenly took over and pressed the self-destruct button ahead of schedule - killing many guests, the Ater Vox, and injuring a young Amara. The event distorted memories of the survivors, ensuring no one knew of the Neo Dimensional Door or what the Ater Vox were arguing about, and the media claimed a fault product had caused the blast. Upon his death, Ethan was free from Janus' clutches, but his soul was thoroughly broken. Upon sensing Amara at death's door, his spirit was utterly destroyed, flowing into her ankh - unknowingly healing her and repairing her necklace. From that day on, his mangled soul stayed there.

His soul would eventually wake up when Amara came to face with Nihane Kronos, his other self. When Nihane attempted to steal Amara's ankh, the one that contained his soul, he was overwhelmed by the energy. Ethan had no idea who he was, but he had a vague memory of Amara. Via her, he was able to find the millions of memories inside of him, and used the most vivid to form his identity again. She eventually remembered meeting him that fateful day in the park, making her unsure how to feel about Nihane.

On the day of breaking into the Aeternus Compound, Ethan spoke to Amara. He had finally recovered everything he needed, but he couldn't take control of Nihane's body just yet. She would need to stop him herself. Finally, Amara and her friends faced Nihane in combat, and both sides attacked each other with massive force. However, Nihane could not bear the assault and faded, leaving Ethan in full control of his body. From there, Ethan told the rebels of his story, and requested their aid in rescuing the city. They agreed, despite their hesitation, and through this acceptance, he gained his Persona Sraosha once more. This time, Sraosha cannot be veiled by Janus. Ethan will wield his Persona with truth, for the sake of atonement. His future may be unclear, but his concern is where he belongs - New Motus City.

Ray Thrust

- Low Light damage to one target.

Gram

- Low Phys damage to one target.

Photon Blast

- Moderate Light damage to one target.

Hauteclere

- Moderate Phys damage to one target.

Claíomh Solais (pronounced Klau Solas)

- Heavy Phys damage to one target.

Prism Ballet

- Heavy Light damage to one target.

Evanescence

- Debuffs all enemy stats, and may cause an opposite effect of Mind/Power Charge.

Eidolon

- Heavy Almighty damage to all targets.

Almacia

- Heavy Almighty/Phys damage to one target.

Aeon

- Heals a target by a heavy amount.

Voyeykov

- Heavy Ice damage to one target, with a high chance of freezing the target.

Kifuka

- Heavy Elec damage to one target, with a high chance of causing Exhaustion.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Voice of Conscience_

- Massive Almighty damage to one target. Will also enable Ethan to cast one of the follow spells during the battle, taken from the Ater Vox:

Archibald: Krevad Mjolnir

Nina: Hailstone Tempest

Josephine: Terra Lapsis

Carlos: Tornado Strike

Pierre: Flamme Mauvais

* * *

><p><strong>Ashi KronosAva Walters**

**Persona:** Mithra

**Date of Birth:** July 16th 1725

**Date of Death:** June 7th 1750 (the date of Amurdad's purge)

**Occupation:** Teaching Healer of the Amurdad Medical Agency

**Skills:** Healing/Misc.

**Hobbies:** Walking, Reading, Tea Ceremonies

**Family:** Nihane Kronos (Father), Mother, Jahan (Brother), Husband, Son

Ashi is a mysterious figure that is only known thanks to Janus' manipulation of Ethan. What is known is that she was the daughter of the past Nihane Kronos, and had a younger brother named Jahan. She was a kind woman, who treated Jahan with pure love. In fact, Ashi might well have been Jahan's only true friend. Unlike her brother, she was fond of the people of her land, and worked as a healer. Her knowledge of medicine and cures was extensive, and many people owed their lives to her. Being female, she would never be allowed to rule Amurdad unless she was married, but this was not a problem for her. As long as she could continue healing the sick, and guide her brother into someday being a strong leader, she would be happy.

She eventually married a soldier in the military, who became a friend of the family (although this was just her, her brother and her father). Sadly, shortly before she was due to give birth to their child, the Amurdad purge began. He left her to protect any survivors, but his courage was not enough to save him, and he died. She, too, was captured, and gave birth at last - only for the baby boy to be drowned right before her eyes. She didn't even feel the pain of her own death, for the pain of losing her child was far greater.

It seems 212 years later, Ashi's soul returned to guide her brother's descendant, and save him from a ghastly fate. While he doesn't seem to understand, it is thanks to her love that Ethan survived to live another day. However, a woman who might just be Ashi has appeared in the combined world, trapped in the year 2002. She quickly gained a Persona, Mithra, and was able to wield great power right off the bat. What exactly is happening, and why can't Ashi remember anything? For the time being, she is using the name Ethan gave her - Ava.

Ataraxia

- Fully heals one target, and cures them of any status effects.

Full Force

- Boosts stats for the entire party. May also grant one of them Power or Mind Charge.

Never Surrender

- Innate skill. Doubles Ashi's stats while in critical condition.

Radiant Sun

- Heavy Fire damage to one targets. Will reduce Agility.

Guardian of Waters

- Heavy Water damage to one targets. Will increase Defence.

Diamond Light

- 4x Moderate Light damage to one target.

Parting Words

- High chance of Instant KO to one target. The enemy may drop stat boosting items upon defeat.

Protector of Truth

- Innate skill. Ashi will take critical blows for Ethan.

Eternal Mind

- Casts Mind Charge on the target that lasts twice.

Crimson Pride

- Casts Power Charge on the target that lasts twice.

A Thousand Words

- Inflicts Silence on all targets. Also absorbs 5% of their SP.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Soul Evangelist_

- Completely heals the entire party, revives any fallen members, and takes away any status effects.

* * *

><p><strong>Colette Hamilton<strong>

**Persona:** Freya

**Arcana:** Moon

**Primary Elements:** Elec/Heal

**Date of Birth:** June 25th 1991

_"To live is to wear a new face every day."_

Colette is the fashion columnist on the teen magazine Real People, and appropriately fashion and style is everything to her. Her home is full of various outfits, and she has almost never been seen wearing the same item of clothing more than once to work. Even if she does, she will find some way to customize it to make it different. While she appears vain, she's quite bubbly, keen to make friends with her fellow reporters, and has some strong ambitions to join the fashion industry. To her credit, she also abhors wearing fur, and has been part of many protests to prevent animal cruelty. At home, she keeps three pet guinea pigs (Milky Way, Mars and Maltesers), and is sponsoring a dolphin named Fino.

While Colette is reluctant to discuss her past, she was originally much plainer in appearance, and bullies at school made her life a living hell. Thus, she was determined to reinvent herself before attending high school, and thus she went on a diet she still sticks to and paid more attention to fashion trends, all in the name of being popular. As such, she cannot imagine a life without her constant reinvention.

Bolt Brigade

- 10x Low Elec/Phys damage to random enemy targets.

Gold Charge

- Protects the entire team with Elec Wall, and doubles the strength of Colette's next Elec attack.

Soul Spark

- Heals single target by heavy amount, and cures them of any ailment.

Thunder Cloak

- Heavy Elec damage to all targets.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Electrifying Triumph_

- Massive Elec damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>Sheila Rebeau<strong>

**Persona:** Helen

**Arcana:** Justice

**Primary Elements:** Ice, Water, Dark, Phys

**Date of Birth:** December 27th 1989

_"To live is to uphold your ideals."_

Sheila is the relationship columnist, and despite her sardonic attitude, she's rather good at her job. However, she would much rather be pursuing her preferred profession of lawyer, but she had to leave law school due to extensive illness. Thankfully, she has recovered, and while she gains the money to begin schooling again, she is falling back on her excellent psychology skills to make ends meet. While not the friendliest woman around, she had found herself enjoying her new company at Real People. Somewhat ironically, she quickly becomes the only one of them (other than Stella) not to be in a relationship.

Being politically minded, she is always ready to support a protest she believes in. In fact, she tried recently to prevent the closure of the hospital her grandfather was born, keen to preserve the history and culture of the establishment. Sadly, despite her efforts the government decided to go ahead and begin the demolishing. She has since decided to look to the future, such as helping Colette save minks from being used for fur.

Sanction Sévère (Severe Sanction)

-3-5x Moderate Phys damage to a single target. (Whip + Sword)

Espadon Féroce (Fierce Swordfish)

-Heavy Water/Phys damage to a single target. (Sword)

Sépulcre Glacé (Icy Grave)

- Heavy Ice/Phys damage to a single target. (Whip)

Nosferatu

- 2x Moderate Dark/Phys damage to all targets. (Whip + Sword)

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Le Coeur Brisé (The Broken Heart)_

- Massive Phys damage to all targets. Damage is increased by 10% for every target who has a romantic partner not in the team. (Ie, if Amara is in the party, but Zao isn't)

* * *

><p><strong>Juan Cortez<strong>

**Persona:** Haokah

**Arcana:** Hierophant

**Primary Elements: **Wind, Fire

**Date of Birth: **April 16th 1990

_"To live is to explore this beautiful world."_

Juan is the travel columnist of Real People, and he has seen plenty of the world to qualify him for such a role. Having been backpacking throughout many countries, he knows plenty of good hotels, the best bars and restaurants, and of course where the best women are. Indeed, his good lucks and Hispanic charms have wooed many a senorita, and he can remember (most) of their names. Not the best for commitment, but his budding friendship with Colette might just be a step in the right direction. He and Sheila frequently get into arguments, but they manage to work well together when it comes to it. He's frequently using his air miles to go on vacation.

He comes from a large and somewhat poor family, having six brothers and two sisters. Each of his siblings has left his homeland of Argentina to make something of themselves, and while far apart, they remain in close contact. Juan hopes someday to have a family reunion, as his mother is rather frail and misses her children every day. Sometime in 2013, he wishes to introduce her to Colette.

Spirit Mirror

-Switches everyone's resistances around. Ie, Amara is weak to Fire and resists Ice.

Tornado Drum

-Heavy Wind damage to all targets. May reduce Defence.

Jester Jet

-Heavy Wind damage to a single target. May inflict either Poison, Fear, Enervation, Silence, Exhaustion, Confusion, Charm or Berserk.

Fiery Flourish

-Heavy Fire damage to all targets. May increase Juan's Defence.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Razing Rhythm_

- Massive Fire damage to all targets. Damage is increased by 5% for every target afflicted with Poison/Enervation/Silence/Exhaustion/Confusion/Charm/Berserk.

* * *

><p><strong>Adrian Gale<strong>

**Persona: **Cai Shen

**Arcana: **Fortune

**Primary Elements: **Light, Wind

**Date of Birth: **February 2nd 1984

_"To live is to seek out new sounds."_

Adrian is Nathan's best friend, having met him in college in England. To their surprise, both of them were from Nova Albion, and their common ground lead to some wild parties during their education. To this day, they remain in close contact and even live nearby, and with their partners Priscilla and Tara, they meet every couple of weeks to have dinner somewhere. Adrian is not the most academic type, but his speciality is sound production - and thus he has a career as a record producer, working with upcoming artists. None of them are very impressive in their own ways, despite their efforts, but he might just have found his new star in the form of Shirley Evens. Whether or not she wishes to be propelled into the limelight, however, is unknown.

He deeply loves Tara, his partner since university, and has proposed to her. Their wedding is to take place early in 2013, before Nathan and Priscilla's, and he's looking forward to a long and happy future with her. However, he worries his job will pale in comparison to her rising orchestral career.

Tiger Twist

-Heavy Wind damage to all targets. May inflict Confusion.

Goldenrod Gale

-Heavy Wind damage to a single target. May increase Adrian's critical chance.

Fortune's Dawn

-3-5x Moderate Light Damage to all targets.

Lady Luck

-Greatly boosts Adrian's chances of critical hits, and increases his Offence.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Zephyr Sonata_

- Massive Wind damage to all targets. 66% chance of inflicting Silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Lucas O'Brien<strong>

**Persona: **Tyrrhenus

**Arcana:** Strength

**Primary Elements:** Phys

**Date of Birth: **May 31st 1995

_"To live is to challenge yourself."_

Silver Suffering

-Heavy Phys damage to a single target. Damage increases for every negative condition target is under. (Break, -kunda, ailment, 0 SP, 25% HP)

Rending Sabre

-3x Moderate Phys damage to a single target. Reduces Defence.

Leviathan Lunge

-Heavy Phys/Water damage to a single target.

Saviour

-After use, will randomly protect any ally from mortal blows, debuffs, Breaks, or ailments.

**PERSONIFICATION**

_Tyrrhenian Sea_

- Massive Water/Phys damage to a single target. May deal Low-Moderate 'Splash' Water damage to nearby allies.

* * *

><p><strong>Ornatu Legion Obliterator<strong>

**Model Number: **OLOXFG5205

**Date of Commission: **May 2nd 2005

**Date of Decommission: **August 29th 2005

While it may look like a bus from the outside, the vehicle is packed with a multitude of weapons and other features designed to combat Shadows. The concept is that these utilities can be boosted via the Persona Sync Interface. A number of these militarized vehicles were manufactured between April and June 2005, but at the end of August in the same year they were decommissioned after a number of accidents. The Ornatu Legion were not able to use the PSI to its full potential, and thus the remaining six were left in storage. The rebels stole one from the New Interitus Legion Compound, and with all of them natural Persona users, this time its true strength will be unlocked in a death-defying chase all over the city.

Machine Gun - Bravado

-4-7x Moderate Phys damage to all targets. Boosted by any Phys specialists.

Void Missile - Terror Torpedo

-Massive damage to a single target. The element and effect depends on which passenger is launching it. The Obliterator has up to three of these.

Lightning Laser - Electro Ray

-Heavy Electric damage to all targets. Boosted by any Elec specialists.

Auto-Repair

-'Heals' itself. Can be aided by a passenger's healing spells, but not all damage can be self-repaired.

Heat Bomb - Rolling Fire

-Heavy Fire damage to a single target. Drops a bomb onto the road that quickly explodes. Boosted by any Fire specialists.

Mist Releaser - Freezing Mist

-Heavy Ice damage to all targets, and reduces Agility. Boosted by Ice specialists.

Wind Gun - Jet Shot

-3-4x Heavy Wind damage to random targets. Boosted by Wind specialists.

Pressure Gun - Aqua Cannon

-Heavy Water damage to a single targets. Boosted by Water specialists.

Quake Effector - Ground Shaker

-Heavy Earth damage to all targets, and reduces Defence. Boosted by Earth specialists.

Equinox Engine - Expulsion

-High chance of instant Light death to one target. If immune to instant death, will deal Heavy damage instead.

Equinox Engine - Cursed Fuel

-High chance of instant Dark death to one target. If immune to instant death, will deal Heavy damage instead.

Energy Shield - Aegis Sphere

-Reflects up to four attacks. Requires an undetermined recharge period.

_Charging Chariot_

-Massive Phys damage to a single target. Requires all passengers to use the PSI to fully power the Obliterator, then the bus collides with its target.

* * *

><p><strong>Trauma Shadows<strong>

_Each Trauma Shadow has two stages, the initial form and a stronger 'Post-Trauma' form. Attacks exclusive to the first form will be marked 'T', and those to the latter will be 'PT'. If they are not marked, they are used by both forms. All Trauma Origin attacks are for their Post Trauma forms only._

* * *

><p><strong>TricksterReformed Harlequin**

**Arcana:** Magician

A rather jovial Shadow, content to juggle balls all day instead of attacking humans. However, it cannot stand those with Personas, and seeks to fight them. In its first incarnation, the Harlequin was being used to power the Farawell Shadow Development & Research Center. However, it broke free, causing the power in the building to run out. It captured Serena Agnethe, a schoolgirl who had stumbled upon it while wandering the facility alone, and would have killed her had Amara and Nathan not arrived to destroy it. During this battle, Serena gained her Persona Artemis, and helped the two out with her Water magic and healing abilities. The Harlequin was eventually defeated with a combination attack, and was just considered a tough Shadow by its conquerors.

However, after the Saragel Divine Spark, it emerged again in its more complete form. It had found Lucy, wandering the ruined Motion Publishing complex alone. But with the help of Blaine, Tara, Seraphina and Kaman, it was defeated. However, upon its defeat, it banged its head on the generator - prompting it to explode. Seraphina realised this just in time, and thus everyone made it out alive.

This Shadow may have come from the tale of a disenchanted circus performer, Lucian 'Magic Lu' Crescent. The circus was once popular in New Motus City, but around the late 60's it began to die out. 40 year old Lucian decided he wouldn't let his way of life become obsolete, and prepared a comeback show that would be talked about for years to come. March 9th 1972, he appeared at a festival, and tried his best to impress the audiences with his circus tricks, only to be met with indifference. Angry, he decided to pull out all the stops and skip straight to the finale. Unfortunately, during the last stage - a very dangerous technique involving a sharp blade and clever illusions - his concentration slipped. His head was cut clean off, and those in attendance were distraught.

Forty years later, most people have forgotten this incident. And thus, Lucian Crescent remains unknown to most of the city. While the Circus itself has disappeared, many performers continue their craft in the annual festival. Lu's death, however, caused an urban legend about a ghost that comes around at festival times and steals props to perform the last trick he never got to finish...

Jester's Jinx (PT)

- Innate Skill. Uses up the Harlequin's SP to boost Attack power. Each successive Attack boosts Chaos Circus's power.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Chaos Circus_

_- _Massive Almighty damage to all targets. Originally, the Harlequin's best move was Megidolaon in its second fight, but I put this in so every Trauma Shadow would have a TO move.

* * *

><p><strong>DominatingRepentant Sorceress**

**Arcana:** Priestess

A magic-oriented Shadow, with very little physical strength. She appears as a witch riding a horse. It seeks to destroy its foes with its sorcery, and thus strikes fear into most of its prey. It interrupted the fight between the two Amaras in Nova Albion's Augustus Square back in June. They called a truce, and with Blaine, Serena and Nathan's help, defeated her, despite the strength of her magic.

The second occasion it appeared was in Inanis - specifically, the Biela Vetra Square in the recollection of 18th Century Saragel. Carlos, Blaine, Tara and Seraphina were there on their way to the Museum, and during a break were assaulted by her. Her magic was even stronger this time around, and she nearly prevailed against them all - but Tara turned the tide of battle, and with a combined assault the team destroyed her once more.

Her origins most likely lie in the tale of an alleged sorceress named Lenore, who lived in the 1600's. She was merely a 35 year old seamstress, who made clothes for the upper class in Nova Albion. She would often sell them in Augustus Square for a high profit. Her husband - a very meek man that was easily scared by his wife - was a miner, and died one day when a shaft collapsed. Not long afterwards, her children died of an outbreak of an unknown illness.

Around this time, many other boys and girls who had been friends with her children fell ill, and many were at death's door. Reacting badly, their parents accused Lenore of being a witch that cursed their children so they would feel her grief. Knowing that she was doomed, Lenore took the family horse Penelope, a black mare, and rode her into the sunset to escape her eventual hanging.

Days later, Lenore was found dead in the fields outside the city. No one knew how she had died. Her horse was nowhere to be seen, and never was found again - but there was a rumor that a depraved butcher took her and sold her into pies. Other than a book in Nova Albion's Appleyard Library, there are no recollections of her that survive to this day. Yet, the myth of a demon horse roaming the fields remains today, and it is said that those who get lost will stumble across her...

Witch Hunt (PT)

- Deals Almighty damage proportional to the Magic stat of the targets to all targets. Ie, devastating to Seraphina but barely any damage to Blaine.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Succession of Witches_

**- **Massive Fire damage to all targets. May pierce resistance.

* * *

><p><strong>MelancholicBenevolent Diva**

**Arcana: **Empress

Another female of the Trauma Shadows, with a taste for grandeur and bombastic performances. She dances all night, and sings all day - performing tunes that create feats of destruction. She had been left to her own devices in the Aeternus HQ area for quite some time, until Nihane decided to tether her to Keisha Vivaldi. She used her to attack Matthew in the Terpischore Opera House in Nova Albion, but before she could prevail, Roger - along with Dan and Richard - came to his rescue. The Diva was a hard Shadow to kill due to her healing capabilities, but she was eventually torn to pieces.

Her next gig was at the Aeterna Vitra, the power generator for the Aeternus area. Nihane realised how much more power generators could produce when attached to one of the Trauma Shadows, and put her to work. In a bid to halt the Eternal Road, Keisha and Kaman - who had defected to the rebel's side once more - fought her. The Diva, however, would not fight alone. She summoned three Shadows as her backing group. Her ability to revive fallen Shadows prolonged the fight, but Nina and Archibald arrived on the scene to dispel the energies of dead Shadows - thus stopping their reprises. Finally, the Diva was brought to her death, and with one final attack, she died - and thus, the generator overflowed with energy, and exploded.

During the Second World War, there were many famous singers who brought solace to war-weary soldiers with songs. One of these was the 25 year old Anne-Marie Barnes, a sassy brunette who constantly changed her look. She would perform any songs a soldier asked, but she called the shots on anything else. Soldiers from across the world listened to her ballads, and one of them - an American from Nebraska - became quite smitten with her. However, the beautiful Anne-Marie suffered from chronic depression, hiding behind the flashing lights and her microphone. She was about to publicly retire - and commit suicide - until the soldier proposed to her at the end of one of her concerts. Overwhelmed, she said yes, relieved at least someone cared for her music.

Sadly, the soldier had to return to active duty - and was shot in the head by an enemy sniper. In his pocket was a diamond ring, which was sent to Anne-Marie by his comrade. Grief stricken, she did retire, and was never seen again. Some believe she drowned in the same river that decades later would claim Matthew Kingsley as one of its victims.

Coloratura

- Massive Fire damage to one target. Raises team's Agility.

Soubrette

- Massive Water damage to one target. Lowers enemy's Defence.

Lyric

- Massive Earth damage to one target. May inflict Silence.

Spinto

- Massive Wind damage to one target. Lowers enemy's Attack.

Contralto

- Massive Elec damage to one target. May inflict Poison.

Drama

- Massive Ice damage to one target. May inflict Enervation.

Corretiva Canto

- Heals one target by a large amount, and increases chance of Critical hits.

Melodia del Desiderio

- Heals all targets by a large amount, and increases chance of Critical hits.

Parole Cordiali

- Removes all kunda effects.

Risurrezione Aria

- Fully revives one fallen target.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Sorrowful Encore_

_- _Revives dead Shadows, only to transform their energies into high powered attacks.

* * *

><p><strong>TaintedPurified Yggdrasill**

**Arcana:** Emperor

Autumn Call (T)

-4x Low Fire damage to all targets.

Autumn Nocturne (PT)

-5x Moderate Fire damage to all targets.

Rooted Spiral

- 3x Moderate Phys damage to all targets.

Mana of Creation (PT)

-Heals a high amount of health to both itself and the Vidofnir. Also doubles the strength of the next magic attack for both.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Tree of Life_

- Protects the Yggdrasill from one fatal blow, and slowly restores health after casting.

* * *

><p><strong>AkashicSentinel Vidofnir**

**Arcana:** Hierophant

Spring Rhapsody (PT)

- 5x Moderate Water damage to all targets.

Wing Beat (PT)

- 3x Moderate Wind damage to all targets.

Plumes of Dawn (PT)

- Heals a high amount of SP to both itself and the Yggdrasill. Also casts Rakukaja on the Yggdrasill.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Wings of Faith_

- Massive Phys/Wind damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>MalevolentRueful Temptress**

**Arcana:** Lovers

Heartless Deception

- Changes form into a female dear to the enemy, provided said female is dead. Used to deceive Kaman into believing Maria was alive. Cannot transform into a male.

Scarlet Promise (PT)

- Heavy Fire damage to a single target. 33% chance of inflicting Poison/Enervation.

Dusk Blossom (PT)

- Heavy Dark damage to a single target. Reduces Defense and Attack as well.

Glass Slipper (PT)

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target. Only used as a counter-attack to physical attacks, with a 50% chance.

Jilted Love (PT)

- Heavy Almighty damage to a single target. Same deal as Glass Slipper, but for magical attacks.

Vixen's Vogue (PT)

- 66% chance of inflicting Charm on all targets. Will not work on any female targets, and damages them with Moderate Dark attacks instead.

Jezebel's Jinx (PT)

- Heavy Dark damage to all targets. 33% chance of inflicting Charm on male targets, and Confusion on both genders. Sexuality would affect the results of this spell.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Bloody Valentine_

- Massive Dark damage to one target, and deals up to 50% more damage if victim is under the affect of Heartless Deception or Charm.

* * *

><p><strong>IxionPegasus Stallion**

**Arcana: **Chariot

An unusual Shadow in that it resembles a vehicle - specifically, a motorcycle. Its form gives it incredible speed, as well as potent offence. It always fights with its Rider on top, even though it can steer itself. The two of them first appeared in front of the gang in the Angelic Vanguard base, and it was up to Matthew, Kyle and Serena to defeat them together. Despite their vicious attacks, and the Stallion's berserk nature, they won, putting an end to their reign over the road.

At least, until they were reborn. Nihane, in his plan to lure the rebels to the base, made Pierre and Nina summon the two Shadows to attack the Obliterator. The rebels had no choice but to quickly get use to the weaponry installed, and fight the Shadows while nearing the Aeternus HQ. As before, the Rider was knocked off, and the Stallion consumed it. Even with its heightened powers, however, it could not withstand the collision between the Obliterator and the Aeternus Barrier System.

Motorcycles are most commonly seen in Kanaloa, perhaps as they are a cheaper alternative to cars. Blaine and Dan are rather proud of their own, and often like to race around Kanaloa with them, although lately they haven't been doing this very much. However, the most famous bikers of Kanaloa, known as the 'Demon Duo', weren't out to cause mayhem. They found it was their duty to protect the weaker inhabitants of their town, and thus risked their lives countless times to put an end to gang fights and the like. Their vigilante behaviour is still fondly remembered, and in fact is credited for the relative improvements Kanaloa has gone through since the 70's, the worst period of the district's existence. Sadly, the Demon Duo (Andrew 'Anarchy' Graham and Michael 'Chaos' Chariot) died during a fierce fire in an apartment building. While they did save most of the people living there, for many their deaths marked the end of any prosperity for Kanaloa.

Highway To Hell

-3-5x Moderate Phys damage to all targets.

Sacrifice

-Consumes the Macabre/Fearless Rider if its HP is below 5%. Boosts all of the Stallion's stats.

Burning Throne

-Heavy Phys/Fire damage to a single target.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Demon's Wheels_

-2x Heavy Phys/Fire damage to all targets. Bypasses Fire resistance. Can be used even if the Stallion is under Berserk.

* * *

><p><strong>UnblessedDivine Cherub**

**Arcana: **Justice

Dies Irae/Judgment Day

- Heavy Almighty damage to a single target. Reduces SP by 50% if Divine Cherub.

Dei Iuducium

- Heavy Almighty damage to all targets. Reduces SP by 25% if Divine Cherub.

- Heavy Almighty damage to all targets.

Unholy Prayer (Unblessed)

- Summons 1x Sky Balance Shadow & 1x Conviction Sword Shadow. One use only.

Godless Prayer (Divine)

- Summons 1x Envious Giant. One use only.

Sacred Penance

- 4-7x Moderate Light damage to all targets.

Baptism

- Heavy Water damage to a single target. Renders them weak to Light.

Cherub's Sigil

- Innate skill. If health is below 25% and there is no means of recovery available, the Cherub will be able to attack twice in one turn. It also activates an automatic Dekunda.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)_

- Massive Light damage to all targets, with a random chance of KO.

* * *

><p><strong>DemonicSeraphic Compendium**

**Arcana:** Hermit

The Compendium may resemble weaker Book Shadows, but is a different beast entirely. In fact, unlike those weaker models, it has spells written on its pages, enabling it to have a wide array of attacks to cast. It is one of the few Trauma Shadows with the ability to summon weaker Shadows to the fray, making it a considerable threat as long as those pages are intact. However, damaging these pages means those spells are lost, resulting in only Stagnant Air. Archibald seemed to have taken to this Shadow the most, having summoned it twice. The first was on the roof top of the Tachibana University in Takanawa, after failing to have Roger &

Page 54

-Summons 2x Maniacal Book Shadows. (T)

-Summons 2x Wrathful Book Shadows. (PT)

Page 206

-Summons 2x Constancy Relic Shadows. (T)

-Summons 3x Change Relic Shadows. (PT)

Page 372

-Poisma (T)

-Poison Mist (PT)

Page 69

-Power Charge

Page 70

-Mind Charge

Page 100

-Eruption - Heavy Fire damage to one target.

Page 105

-Air Thrust - Heavy Wind damage to one target.

Page 110

-Aqua Laser - Heavy Water damage to one target.

Page 115

-Stalagmite - Heavy Earth damage to one target.

Page 120

-Atom Pressure - Heavy Almighty damage to all targets.

Page 125

-Record of Despair - Scans an enemy and records their stats on the page. Resets after each better.

Page 185

-Anima Freeze

Page 186

-Old One

Damaged Page

-Stagnant Air. Can only be used if a page is damaged, preventing the use of desired skills.

* * *

><p><strong>Tempestuous<strong>** Warlord**

**Arcana:** Strength

Movement in Green

- Heavy Wind damage to all targets. May reduce agility as well. (This attack doesn't require a weapon, but since it's Magic instead of Strength based, it's by far the weakest. Therefore, the Warlord would only use this if all four weapons had been destroyed and were still regenerating.)

Otherworld

- Heavy Phys damage to all targets. Requires Axe. This is a song from FFX that plays during the Blitzball game at the start, and later against one of the final bosses.

Hunter's Chance

- Triples the Warlord's chances of a critical hit, and alerts it to the enemy with the lowest health.  
>Wavering Blade<p>

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target. 25% chance of inflicting Fear. Requires Sword.

Force Your Way

- Heavy Phys damage to a single target. Can break through any Phys resistance, yet will Exhaust the Warlord afterwards. Requires Halberd.

Premonition

- Determines a random element, excluding Phys. (Almighty can be chosen, yet is rare) If any enemy uses that element afterwards, their attack will fail and they will lose health to the equivalent of the strength of their skill.

Those Who Fight Further

- 3-5x Moderate Phys damage to all targets. Can occur as a counter-attack as well.

Weapon Raid

- Prevents all enemies, including their Personas, from using any weapon-based attacks.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Decisive Battle_

- Massive Phys damage to all targets, completely bypassing and shattering Tetrakarn and Rakukaja. All weapons break after using this skill, and take much longer to regenerate afterwards.

* * *

><p><strong>Corrupt Chronicle<strong>

**Arcana:** Fortune

This Shadow, fitting with its name, resembles a giant, antiquated timepiece. While it does not appear to have the ability to manipulate time, it can spin its hands to go between different skills and resistances, thus enabling it to have a wide array of moves to use. It was first used in the Legarte Harbour to distract Amara and friends from rescuing Kyle, so Other Blaine could question him more. While it was a strong opponent for them, it was eventually defeated, and its conquerors swiftly moved on.

It would return in the Inanis version of Saragel, during the joint operation to find and defeat Tomas & Rudo. It emerged in the grounds that would later become the football stadium, and as such it was fought by Karl and Pierre's team. Despite their animosity, the two were able to put aside their hatred - albeit briefly - and destroy the Shadow. It had grown much stronger, to be sure, but it was not as fearsome as many of its brethren.

Many years ago, there was a famed artisan who crafted gorgeous timepieces for the upper classes of the city. His name was Desmond Monroe, and aside from his work, he dearly loved his frail wife. After she died, he devoted himself to making a clock in tribute to her. However, before it could be completed, he too become ill, and died quickly - ignoring doctor's orders so he could work on his greatest work. His two young apprentices, despite their inexperience, attempted to complete it themselves. Sadly, however, they lacked the skills and knowledge of their master, and the clock was eventually destroyed. Many of Desmond's clocks are still intact, having become antiques and museum exhibition items, but no one will ever get to see his vision for his greatest work. Perhaps that regret is what led to this Shadow...

Time Marches On

- Adjusts the Chronicle's hands to two random positions. The attacks the Chronicle can use are dependent on these positions.

Magician

- Maragi (T)

- Maragidyne (PT)

Priestess

- Mabufu (T)

- Mabufudyne (PT)

Empress

- Dia (T)

- Diarahan (PT)

Emperor

- Mazio (T)

- Maziodyne (PT)

Hierophant

- Tarukaja

- Matarukaja (PT, if there are allies)

Lovers

- Patra (T)

- Amrita (PT)

Chariot

- Bash (T)

- God's Hand (PT)

Justice

- Rakukaja

- Marakukaja (PT, if allies)

Hermit

- Sukukaja

- Masukukaja (PT, if allies)

Strength

- Cleave (T)

- Brave Blade (PT)

Fortune

- Magaru (T)

- Magarudyne (PT)

Hanged Man

- Tetrakarn

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Event Horizon_

- Massive Almighty damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>Macabre Rider<strong>

**Arcana:** Hanged Man

**Skillset: **Elemental/Phys

This Shadow, resembling a rather embellished biker, is almost always found riding his mean set of wheels - the Stallion. They combine their attacks to pursue their opponents and crush them into the ground. While he himself is strong, he functions much better with his vehicle. However, the reverse is not always true. Alongside the Stallion, they broke free from the Aeternus HQ after the Saragel Divine Spark, and went after Dan and Shirley in the Angelic Vanguard's hotel. Too weary to fight, they called for help. Matthew, Kyle and Serena took them on in the hotel's lobby, and managed to win. There, the Stallion demonstrated its selfish nature, and absorbed the dying body of the Rider into itself.

On December 21st, the two bases belonging to the rebels were blown up. This coincided with the TV broadcast by Aeternus that claimed they were planning to use a new weapon to destroy the Shadows. The rebels found their stolen Obliterator, and made their way towards the HQ, planning to break through. However, Pierre and Nina were there to summon the newly reborn Rider and Stallion. Thus began a wild chase in which the Oblierator tried to destroy the Shadows using its weapons. As before, the Rider was knocked off and consumed by his vehicle. The Stallion, however, was destroyed when it tried to get in front of the Obliterator the moment it hit the Aeternus barrier.

The origin story for these Shadows is listed under the Stallion.

Fire Gun

- Heavy Fire damage to one target. Agidyne.

Blizzard Gun

- Heavy Ice damage to one target. Bufudyne.

Thunder Gun

- Heavy Elec damage to one target. Ziodyne.

Aero Gun

- Heavy Wind damage to one target. Garudyne.

Force Caliber

- Heavy Almighty damage to one target. Zandyne.

Scatter Shot

- 3-5x Moderate Phys damage to all targets.

Grease Monkey

- 'Repairs' the Stallion. Diarama.

Bullet Train

- Reloads the Rider's gun. Doubles its Agility afterwards.

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Final Terminus_

-10-15x Low Phys damage to all targets.

* * *

><p><strong>TorturedLiberated Mummy**

**Arcana:** Death

**Skillset: **Dark/Almighty/Ice/Fire

The absolute strongest of the thirteen Shadows, and the only one able to clearly converse with humans in their own language. As it is of the Death Arcana, it has been around the longest - due to the billions of deaths that have occurred over the millennia. Its grotesque form serves to remind humans what will become of their body after death - rotting away into nothingness. The Mummy acted as the 'big brother' among the Trauma Shadows, yet stuck in the world of Shadows, they lacked any purpose at all. Their existence was to feel the effects of the human consciousness, unable to do anything about it. Life quickly became unbearable for them, but their forebear - the great Janus - appeared before them. It would start a scheme that would let them, along with all the other minor Shadows, enter the human world. Inanis, Janus' private domain, would act as a link between the Shadow and Human worlds. The Mummy on behalf of his 'family' agreed.

Before long, Shadows had appeared in New Motus City, and the Aeternus Group had taken control. What no one knew was the truth behind Nihane's Persona, Janus. The Mummy knew of this, and instructed his twelve brethren to keep this secret. The Shadows were gaining power steadily, and some were being used to power the city's new technology. Society had changed into one of fear, the people dependent on their new government. The Mummy was elated. However, they lacked the strength to fully appear in the human world. So all thirteen of them decided to emerge as incomplete forms of themselves. The Mummy, keen to be discrete, used only a tiny portion of its full power, so not to stand out among the thirteen. It was still perceived as unusual by the researchers, but not overtly so.

The Tortured Mummy was defeated by Lucy and Shirley - the latter awakening to her Persona Rhiannon that very fight. Pleased with this result, the Mummy allowed itself to die, and be quickly forgotten. However, the other Trauma Shadows eventually gained the strength to appear fully in the human world, some gaining powerful will - not far behind the Mummy's. However, in the Ater Peractorum - the new form of Inanis - The Liberated Mummy would finally appear, able to use the full limits of its power. It would thus reveal the truth of its existence to Amara, Ethan, Alastair and Sophie, and engage with them in a terrifying battle. During this conflict, it was able to use the energy of its fallen comrades as its 'Personae', mocking his opponents.

Amara and her other self managed to stop it with their combined strength, aided by the others as well. However, the Mummy used its dying breath to attack them with its deadliest technique. The full force of Death itself. It did not manage to kill them, however, and they continued onward.

Every single Trauma Shadow was summoned one last time by Janus to exterminate the rebels. The Mummy lead his brethren to war, but the rebels were too determined, too strong-willed, and conquered them all yet again. The Mummy cursed its fate, realising it could never truly die - unless Janus were to prevail. Yet by that point, the Mummy had an inkling even the great Janus was beaten. Death is a part of life, and thus the Mummy's existence will continue. How ironic it is that it would take the death of everything to make the embodiment of it finally die.

Immolation  
>- Heavy Fire damage to one target. Bypasses any resistance, and may reduce Defence.<p>

Palida Mors (Pale death)  
>- Heavy Ice damage to one target. Bypasses any resistance, and may reduce Agility.<p>

Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)  
>- A combined Makarakarn and Tetrakarn. Any attack will cause the Mummy to cast Mudoon, with higher success rate.<p>

Victis Honor  
>- Innate skill. Recovers a small portion of HP for every target defeated, but only once (if target is revived but KO'd again, it will not trigger)<p>

Bellum Letale  
>- Raises all stats and boosts critical damage.<p>

Ne Quid Nimis  
>- Raises the user's Maximum HP by 5%, and SP by 10%. Only usable 3 times.<p>

Veritas Vos Liberabit  
>- High chance of Fear to all targets. May inflict Dark damage as well.<p>

Omnia Mors Aequat  
>- Absorbs health from all targets. Can only be used once during the battle, however, as it takes a LOT of SP to use.<p>

Tempus Edax Rerum  
>- Innate skill. Casts Sukunda on the first target to attack the Mummy four times.<p>

Nemo Ante Mortem Beatus (No one is happy before death)  
>-25% chance of hitting. If so, reduces target's HP to 1, SP to 0, reduces all their stats and gives them an ailment that makes them lose control. If it misses, however, the Mummy will be unable to attack and may even damage itself. The Mummy will be unable to use 'Persona' afterwards for the rest of the battle.<p>

**'Persona'**

The Liberated Mummy is capable of using the following attacks, using the other 12 Trauma Shadows as if they were a Persona. This is not the same power as the Wild Card from Persona 3 or 4, as it does not alter the Mummy's stats or his own moves. In theory, however, the Mummy could use any Shadow as a 'Persona', but the Trauma are the only ones it considers worth using in this manner.

Reformed Harlequin

- Jester's Jinx (Heavy Phys damage to one target)

Repentant Sorceress

- Witch Hunt (Deals damage proportional to how high a target's Magic is)

Benevolent Diva

- Spinto (Heavy Wind damage + Lower's enemy's attack)

Purified Yggdrasill

- Autumn Nocturne (5x Moderate Fire damage to all targets)

Sentinel Vidofnir

- Spring Rhapsody (5x Moderate Water damage to all targets)

Rueful Temptress

- Dusk Blossom (Heavy Dark damage, and reduces Attack and Defense)

Divine Cherub

- Sacred Penance (3-7 Moderate Light attacks on the whole team)

Seraphic Compendium

- Stalagmite - Page 115 (Heavy Earth damage)

Guardian Warlord

- Wavering Blade

Reflective Chronicle

- Time Marches On (basically, hands spin to an Arcana. It can attack twice.)

Heroic Rider

- Thunder Gun (Ziodyne in gun form.)

**TRAUMA ORIGIN**

_Memento Mori_

- 100% chance of instant KO to all targets. Dark elemental. Targets MUST nullify, repel or absorb Dark attacks to survive, barring any special skills or equipment.

* * *

><p><strong>Nullity Masquerade<strong>

**Persona: **All within its memory

**Arcana: **Fool

**Skillset: **Mimicry - taking over the bodies of Trauma Shadows and using their powers, and later copying skills of Persona users

While the Magician is considered the first of the Trauma Shadows, and the Mummy the last, there is one beyond them - the 'zero' Trauma Shadow. This one existed long before them, and was the only one never to take a defined shape or be influenced by myth or legends. It seems to have no power of its own, except for one. To mimic other forces and use their powers. This same skill has been seen before, in a Persona that no one quite understood. The Doppelganger.

It was summoned to the human world by Nihane, but he was never told the truth of its existence by Janus. Its purpose was to power the Farawell SD&RC. It was quite content for its massive power reserves to be siphoned, and for ten years was left ignored in the basement area. Since it never felt an urge to fight, no one bothered to use it to attack the rebels. Nor did one ever consider the possibility of it being another Trauma Shadow.

It's name is the Nullity Masquerade, and it has been kept apart from the other thirteen for a good reason. It has far more power than all of them, even if they combined forces. This is due to the fact that it can mimic others of great power, perfectly. Upon Janus' orders, it let its body be partially divided into 'Blank Maya', which could mimic other Shadows and Personae. These were regarded as unique Shadows, but not powerful enough to focus massively on. However, they were processed into a Persona called the Doppelganger, itself only a portion of the Masquerade's power.

Ethan sought to destroy it, but in doing so, it began to reveal itself for the first time ever - as the ultimate Shadow below Janus. Its death in simultaneous dimensions enabled it to distort and warp reality, sending both of them back in time - enabling it to take the bodies of its oblivious relatives. It did this to see if copying their power was worthwhile, and in doing so, it decided that it must gain the power of Personae. And to do so, it must become human. It tried to accomplish this, but despite its massive power reserves, it could not complete a fool's journey of the soul. It was defeated...but in doing so, completed its goal.

The two worlds fused into one, going back to the last time they were ever the same. In this fused world, devoid of humans but full of Shadows, only those with the power of Persona can prevent a total fusion of the worlds, and thus permanent destruction. Has Janus's ultimate ally proved itself useful? Time will tell...

Fool: ? - Ataraxia

- An unknown healing light of compassion.

Magician: Blaine - Stormy Ascent

- A familiar thunder storm.

Priestess: Seraphina - Starry Heavens

- A familiar celestial onslaught.

Empress: Priscilla - Crystal Queen

- A familiar shining fortress.

Emperor: Roger - Ocean Stampede

- A familiar clash of cruel waves.

Hierophant: Kazuya - Inspiration

- A familiar summoning of flame and thunder.

Lovers: Bianca - Nerine

- A familiar frozen flower.

Chariot: Richard - Ultraviolet Whirlwind

- A familiar rainbow tornado.

Justice: Alastair - Saintly Step

- A familiar angelic strike.

Hermit: Kyle - Raging Rampart

- A familiar stone bastion.

Strength: Nathan - Mór Gaoth

- A familiar giant hurricane.

Fortune: Karl - Gallant Gladius

- A familiar blade of bravery.

Hanged Man: Dan - Xibalba

- A familiar glimpse into the place of fear.

Death: Shirley - Nocturnal Seal

- A familiar sigil of dark oblivion.

Temperance: Tara - Beloved Meadow

- A familiar pasture of true peace.

Devil: Lucy - Passion Ablaze

- A familiar burning desire.

Tower: Karen - Black Ice

- A familiar darkened frost.

Star: Aimee - Stardust March

- A familiar astral charge into battle.

Moon: Serena - Tranquil Sea

- A familiar sea of lunacy.

Sun: Amara - Tefnut's Raze

- A familiar flame of resolution.

Judgment: Matthew - Tornado Beast

- A familiar savagery of the sky.

Aeon: Ethan - Eidolon

- A familiar display of omnipotence.

Fool: Zao - Life Lock

- A familiar banishment of healing.

Fool: Zao - Heartful Cry

- A familiar scream of the heart.

Fool: Zao - Astral Laser

- A familiar ray of heavenly judgment.

Fool: Zao - Bloody Destiny

- A familiar prophecy of a savage death.

* * *

><p><strong>Janus<strong>

**Arcana: **Reversed World

**Primary Elements:** All

**Hobbies:** None. It considers hobbies worthless deviations from humanity's inner conflict.

**Family:** All thirteen Trauma Shadows

**Date of Birth:** Dawn of Human Consciousness

**Date of Defeat:** December 22nd 2012 - Conquered by the will of New Motus City

_"To live is a folly that lasts for an eternity."_

Janus is a tremendously powerful being that was born in the collective unconsciousness. It has existed ever since humanity discovered Motus Island and decided to settle there. While it may appear as two individual beings, they are one and the same. One is always male, the other female. In the formative years of the city, Janus barely had any form to speak of. Shortly after its emergence, thirteen shapeless beings appear as well, also affected by human thoughts and emotions. They existed in a realm that physical matter could not touch, filled with many creatures that were also born by the repressed negative thoughts of human beings. These were called Shadows. Janus' first act of power was to create a land free from human interference called Inanis, and it spent many years in this realm to escape the conflicting emotions of the human settlers.

When the Amurdad slaughter began, Janus finally 'awoke', and developed its true mind. The contradictory emotions of humanity were no longer possible for it to ignore. Thus, it became tortured by humans who killed or did other nefarious acts in the name of 'justice' or 'peace'. Wars, in particular, were anathema to Janus. Over the years, the thirteen Shadows developed new forms due to incidents in the human world, and thus they became the Trauma Shadows. Janus resolved to look after these thirteen beings, for they had no purpose for their extreme power. Janus gradually became more and more convinced that the only way to ease their suffering was to eradicate humanity entirely, and thus themselves. To do so, however, would require the unthinkable - connecting the land of Shadows with the land of humans.

The first step in this plan was to use all of its power to influence human emotions, a reversal of roles. In each of the five districts that participated in the Amurdad destruction, horrible murders took place. The people involved became depraved, jealous, or just bloodthirsty. Friendships were torn, familial bonds were severed, and trust was broken. Priests killed each other in the Cathedral, staining it with blood. A false Samurai was betrayed by his friend, and his castle and soldiers were burned to ashes. The Donatella family, in a bid to seize power, saw each other dead. Soldiers of Legarte murdered each other, no longer sworn to their duty. And in Saragel, the mayor's son grew insane, and killed his father - only to be murdered by his own wife, who took her own life afterwards. While these five events spread paranoia and fear throughout the city, it was not quite enough to destroy it. The people of the city decided to write all of this era out of history, and thus centuries later no one would know Amurdad ever existed. Nor would any knowledge of the 'Divine Sparks' slip out - apart from one source that would be discredited. Janus could not exert any more influence on the city in this manner, and so lay in wait for its next chance.

Janus became aware of the Kronos family, who once ruled over the island. It believed that it could entice any of their descendants to learn of their ancestry, and thus desire vengeance on the entire city. Janus would then grant them its power as a 'Persona' and influence them to create the 'Eternal Road' phenomenon. To its delight, Ethan Walters came to the island at the age of 16. Janus monitored him closely, and saw his meekness and isolation. This, Janus believed, would make him the perfect host to his powers. Ethan eventually joined Aeternus and was picked for a secret project. Janus, using a minor Shadow, had enough strength to make Ethan cause an error during a test. This event caused Inanis to be tied to both realms rather than wholly separate. Ethan awoke to the Persona 'Sraosha', and in his confusion managed to kill the Shadow. Janus then manipulated Ethan into accepting the name 'Nihane Kronos', and giving him the power and knowledge needed to create the Ater Vox and the Eternal Road plan. With all six Divine Sparks in play, Janus could fully connect the human and Shadow worlds via Inanis to fuse them together, and thus destroy them entirely. However, he lied to Nihane, telling him that this would enable him to recreate Amurdad.

After Nihane's defeat, Janus had recovered enough strength to take control - and thus forced Nihane into a false body. Next, it sent the ghosts of the Ater Vox to the Divine Sparks, and gave them new powerful bodies to absorb the masses of energy. The worlds began to merge fully, and Janus lay in wait in Amurdad. However, Nihane was defeated once again by Ethan, forcing Janus to take full control and engage the rebels in combat, fighting in six different forms. With some struggle, these were defeated, only for the seventh one to appear and seemingly wipe them out.

Zao, from beyond the grave, responded to Amara's grief. He lead the reunion of everyone, and helped them awaken their reasons to live. Janus, upon discovering the team hadn't perished in the incomplete nothingness, fought them again, using every Shadow it could summon - even the Trauma Shadows. Yet these were all killed, so Janus indulged the rebels in one last fight. It threw its whole might at them, but their wills were too strong, and combined, seemingly destroyed Janus. No sign of it seems to remain, but humans are creatures of duality. Janus may not truly die, but perhaps someday it will change its mind about the human race. For the time being, however, it has lost all power, and New Motus City is free from its shadows, literally and figuratively. Congratulations to those who made this possible!

War ~ Ruin Ignis

- Heavy Fire damage to all targets. Pierces Fire Resistance.

Peace ~ Clara Heremus

- Heavy Ice damage to all targets. Pierces Ice Resistance.

War ~ Nebula Adeptus

- Heavy Elec damage to all targets. Pierces Elec Resistance.

Peace ~ Aer Irae

- Heavy Wind damage to all targets. Pierces Wind Resistance.

War ~ Mersis Mons

- Heavy Earth damage to all targets. Pierces Fire Resistance.

Peace ~ Mortuum

- Heavy Water damage to all targets. Pierces Water Resistance.

War ~ Horrenda Maledicite

- High chance of KO. Dark based. Pierces Dark Resistance.

Peace ~ Exactos Noble

- High chance of KO. Light based. Pierces Light Resistance.

War ~ Field of Sorrow

- Heavy Phys damage on one target. Pierces Resistance.

War ~ Sea of Tears

- 2-5 Moderate Phys damage on all targets. Pierces Resistance.

War ~ Land of Agony

- Heavy Phys damage to all targets. Pierces Resistance.

Peace ~ Vita Pulsus

- Heals Janus by a heavy amount. Does not consume SP.

Peace ~ Vera Puritas

- Cures Janus of any negative conditions (debuffs, negative status effects), and prevents any attack missing its target.

Peace ~ Gloriosa Cordis

- Raises Janus' stats drastically, and grants them Power and Mind Charge.

Duality ~ Anima Fracta (Broken Soul)

- Renders all targets weak to all elements for one turn.

Duality ~ Nocte et Aurora (Night and Dawn)

- Heavy Light + Dark damage to all targets. Voids resistances.

Duality ~ Extasis

- Heavy Almighty damage to a single target. 50% chance of KO.

Duality ~ Ultimo Judicio (Final Judgment)

- Heavy Almighty damage to all targets. Each Divine Spark will increase the damage by 5%. This skill will not be used after the last one is done, however, meaning the total damage can go up to 125%.

Duality ~ Ad Ostium Calamitas (At the door of Calamity)

- Lowers all enemy stats. Will remove any current buffs beforehand.

Duality ~ Victorae Porta (Victory Gate)

- Triple the damage of Janus' next attack.

**ETERNITY**

These moves are unlocked via the Divine Spark attacks. Once they are available, these attacks can be used as 'Personifications'.

_Eternity ~ Arcana Epitaph_

- Selects a random Arcana, and instantly KOs the character it belongs to. Will only select characters that are still standing. One Divine Spark must be activated to use this.

_Eternity ~ Equinox_

- Massive Light/Dark damage to all targets. Two of the Divine Sparks must be activated to use this.

_Eternity ~ Neo Dimension_

- Deals 75% of the target's current HP in damage. Three of the Divine Sparks must be activated to use this.

_Eternity ~ Erasure_

- Massive Almighty damage to all targets. Four of the Divine Sparks must be activated to use this.

_Eternity ~ Ater Vox_

- Summons the realm of Shadows to attack for non-elemental damage. (This means that it has no type whatsoever, and thus Almighty resistance would not work.) This is similar to the Fusion Skill used by the Ater Vox in Chapter 75, except it does not trap the targets in the realm. Five Divine Sparks must be activated to use this.

_Eternity ~ Via Aeternum_

- The ultimate expression of Janus' power. Fully unlocked by opening all six locks via the Divine Spark abilities. Its true power is unknown, but it is unlikely one could survive to observe it...

**DIVINE SPARK**

These abilities can only be used once after the corresponding door reaches critical condition. They will unlock other abilities as above.

_Purpose ~ Vohu Manah (Nova Albion)_

Massive Wind damage to all targets.

_Truth ~ Asa Vahista (Takanawa)_

- 10-15 Low Fire damage to all targets.

_Dominion ~ Kshtara Vairya (Legarte)_

- Massive Phys damage to all targets.

_Devotion ~ Spenta Armaiti (Farawell)_

- Massive Earth damage to all targets.

_Wholeness ~ Haurvatat (Saragel)_

- Massive Water damage to all targets.

_Immortality ~ Ameretat (Amurdad/Kanaloa)_

- Fully boosts Janus' stats, and prevents them from being lowered. Not even Personifications or Fusion Moves will undo this.

**Note.** While these can mostly be used in any order Janus wishes, Ameretat's can only be used last.


	6. New Motus City

**AN:** This is a guide to the six districts of New Motus City, as well as outlying areas such as Claridol Village. Hope you enjoy! I've gone up to Chapter 55 with these, but I'll add the locations throughout the next two arcs in the near future. Enjoy!

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><p><em><strong>NEW MOTUS CITY<strong>_

_Where Ambition is put into Motion_

_"Same hearts, new motion, see us to a new horizon." _

-New Motion, National Anthem-

A large metropolis that comprises 55.57% of the land mass on the island of Motus, located somewhat half-way in the Atlantic Ocean.

When discovered in the early 16th century, navigators were convinced the island was capable of moving by itself, due to their own mishaps involving their hand-drawn maps. This was eventually proved wrong, but the name stuck. Thus, the island received the Latin word for 'Motion' as its name. On this island, nature was bountiful, and it was an unexplored paradise. Word spread about this hidden gem in the middle of the ocean, and others decided they wanted to find it and see its splendor for themselves. A hardy few explorers considered the possibility of people living here, and thus several small towns sprang up. Over time, the towns became five distinct areas, with steadily increasing populations. People from Asia and Europe came together, and over time became part of this island rather than their home nations. Yet there was a lack of official government, despite the trade between the five areas.

That all changed in the 18th century, when the leaders of the five villages decided they would unite to form a massive multi-cultural city, to rival those across the seas. The city was originally simply called Motus City after the island, but everyone's optimism regarding this event prompted the first official Motus Government to deem their home something else - New Motus City. For a long time, the city was somewhat left out of world politics and commerce, but modern technologies have greatly increased its wealth, to the point where there many businesses with headquarters here, as well as local ones that are massively successful on a global scale.

As of 2012, the city's glory seems to be on the up, as people are finally considering this story worth of comparison to London, New York, Tokyo, etc. While it is still small in comparison to the latter two, its tourism industry is doing massively well, and the entertainment sector is thriving. The only dark spot is Kanaloa, a part of the city many choose to ignore, but overall, the city is doing very well three centuries after its official birth. Politically, the city is mostly neutral but gets along well with both nearby and distant territories.

**Time Zone: **UCT -2. Daily Summer Time is observed.

**Location: **The island is located roughly in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Many countries in Western Europe, as well as the East Coast of the United States, have direct flights to the country. There has been a recent interest of tourists from Eastern Europe, however, as well as Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

**Climate:** Temperate, rather warm during the summer with plenty of sea breeze in Legarte, Saragel, and Kanaloa. Winters can be rather cold, the worst on record was the freak snowstorm of 1975.

**Currency:** Motus Dollar, or '$MD'. Prior to 1926, the British Sterling (£) was in use as the British Empire had heavy influence there via Nova Albion. Some major retailers will accept Euro (€), USD ($) and £.

**Official Language:** British English, due to influence of both Nova Albion and the British Empire during the 19th century. Takanawa tends to adopt Chinese and Japanese as their languages, and throughout the rest of the island, European languages are common. Kanaloa tends to lean towards American English due to an influx of immigrants during the district's early days as a resort area, until plans fell through.

**Internet Domain**: .nmc, also used for the small number of websites based in Clairdol. A proposed domain for Clairdol was .cla, but to this day remains unassigned and is pending deletion.

**Cuisine:** Due to the myriad of cultures living in the city, plenty of different dishes are available. Takanawa boasts most of the Asian eateries of the city, Farawell is where several popular casserole recipes originated, Legarte has many fish restaurants serving fresh local dishes, and Saragel has a trend towards BBQ Grill restaurants. Several fast food chains have outlets here. As far as native dishes go, there is a popular chicken casserole recipe involving leeks and apricot, with many variations. (Priscilla planned on making this for Nathan in Chapter 2.)

**TV Networks and Programming: **There are three Terrestial channels: Motus Channel 1 (1949), Motion TV 2 (1953), and Third Wave (1963). There are two popular soap operas in the city, one hosted on MC1 (_Moving Stories_), the other on TW (_Saragel Sunlight_). The advancement of digital television has allowed for many more channels as well as HD Broadcasts. Programmes from other countries have found success over here as well, most notably _Doctor Who_. Due to the success of _The_ _Great British Bakeoff_, a New Motus version began in 2011, with a fair amount of success. While mostly popular in Takanawa, there is a healthy interest in anime, kickstarting with _AKIRA _in the late 80's. _Ghost In The Shell_ (1995) was insanely popular in Takanawa, and to this day there are still many who cosplay as Major Motoko Kusanagi. Many people purchase TVs made by Albion Inc, and there is a keen interest in Smart TVs. As with most of the world, Netflix is also common.

**Government: **Upon the unification of the city, a democratic government was created. Elections take place every four years, most recently in 2010. Unlike many other territories, women have always been allowed to vote (Due to early sophistry about adopting new values for a brand new world) and the voting age was reduced from 28 to 18 in 1940. There are two major political parties; The Loyal Republic Party (named in honour of its founder Eric Murdoch's stalwart loyalty to the nation) and the Liberal People's Democracy Party. The most famous leader, depicted in several statues, artwork and on bank notes, was Edward Anderson, who was in charge during World War I. Currently, the President is the 48 year old LRP leader Adelle Hardington, who is the 3rd female President of the country, the first since the 1960's, who has been praised for her reforms to the city's banking systems, but criticised for paying virtually no attention to the district of Kanaloa.

**Police and Military: **The city's police department, currently led by Zack Lynx, have recently tried to crack down on underage drinking, which has decreased in most of the city but remains a significant problem in Kanaloa. Generally, the police make arrests there daily, giving them many headaches, and as a result most senior officers hastily deal with situations so they can get out of the district. Gambling was initially illegal, but decriminalized in the 1960's, leading to the creation of the Gold Coin Casino. Military spending is rather low due to the unlikely chance of invasion, and the city has officially banned all production, storage and importing of nuclear weapons. However, the Navy have a favourable reputation due to their efforts in keeping the seas safe, and during World War II helped protect the city from Nazi submarines.

_**FARAWELL**_

The earliest settlement to appear on the island, originally designated as a farming, rural area until the land became less arable. Instead, it became known as a center of religion and art, and is considered by some to be the most beautiful part of the city. The name possibly is a corruption of 'farewell', and is most likely a hallmark of the politeness of the area's founder. Whenever visitors, he would bid theme farewell, hoping they would return someday.

_I: Farawell Cathedral_

Near Maravell Junction, this is the most famous place of worship of the city, and is an incredible testament to the architecture of the time. Gorgeous stained glass windows at every wall, this building attracts tourists almost every day. Inside, there is an intricate church organ, which can play beautiful melodies. Many postcards purchased in the city will have at least a small photograph of the cathedral, and those who venture inside vouch for the beauty of the pews and altars. However, in the aftermath of Kanaloa's destruction, a hideous atrocity took place here that saw all the priests here being slaughtered in gruesome ways. The entire Cathedral needed extensive work to remove all traces of the massacre, and thus while it retains the same style, it is almost a different building. In the Other World, this location was destroyed via the Grand Spark, and thus the older version of the cathedral is present within Inanis.

_II: Teardrop Fountain_

Yet another historical sight of the city, commonly surrounded by tourists. On first glance, it is a rather depressing statue - most of the water is from a crying maiden standing on the centre platform. Yet, the statues on the perimeter of the fountain are all supposed to be her friends, and the figure in front of her is her long lost love. The names of the lovers arere lost in the sands of time, but the fountain remains an interesting place to examine, particularly by young couples.

_III: Falcon View Apartments_

A large apartment building located on Scarlet Street. It stands out due to having a beige exterior, unlike the redder buildings on the street. Constructed in 2007, many different people live here, but mostly young students or recent graduates. Amara lives in flat 605, and thus gets a good view of the city. Her apartment is rather messy, with her art supplies scattered everywhere.

_IV: Abandoned Warehouse_

Located near Scarlet Street, this warehouse was once owned by Aeternus. Technically, it has been up for sale ever since the company folded, yet no one has been interested in purchasing the building. Inside, the place is filthy, and filled with broken electronics and torn documents. Nothing remains salvagable. However, upstairs is the NDD - the device which Amara and her friends use to go to and from the Other World. It's Other World counterpart is the Farawell Shadow Development Centre, which is seldom used these days due to the completion of the Aeternus Headquarters. In there, Amara, Nathan and Serena met for the first time, and together defeated the Trickster Harlequin.

_V: New Motus Convention Centre_

Technically, this building is in the very centre of the city, and thus does not belong to any district. Yet for legal purposes, this location has been given a Farawell postcode. This location has been home to many events, yet during a Networking convention in 2002, there was a large explosion which killed several people and injured many more. Amara & Serena were lucky to escape from this incident with their lives. Alas, in the Normal World, Aimee was killed by the blast. Recently, the centre was rebuilt and will host several low key events throughout 2012-13. There is a memorial plaque by the entrance to commemorate the disaster.

In the Other World, due to the lack of an explosion, this building seems to have been unchanged. However, the inside has been remodelled into a large transporter to Inanis. This is only usable by Nihane Kronos, and therefore one would need his participation and approval before they could reach Inanis, unless they want to take the more convuluted method of using the NDD that leads to the outside world and going to the 'hidden' entrance.

_VI: Another World_

A new and trendy bar in Farawell, proving popular with the young folk. When Amara saw this, she assumed it was what Stella's fortune was referring too. Yet she was quite wrong. Amara has yet to come here, yet Stella once met Sheila, Colette and Juan for drinks one evening. The establishment attempts to create a surreal sci-fi feel, as if they are on another world. One highlight includes a table stuck to the ceiling, which the owner believes someday will be available to the customers. Perhaps not until the 2090's, however.

_VII: Golden Gate Cinema_

A smallish cinema in Farawell, which is less stylish and grand than the major complexes in Saragel or Legarte, yet is ideal for more romantic dates. Amara is a regular filmgoer here, and once watched some rather strange animated movies as part of her studies. This building was damaged by fire in the Other World, and has been abandoned since.

_VIII: White Rose Academy_

Once a thriving private institution, this school became widely known for ghost stories in the early 20th century, after several girls were found dead. No one could figure out the cause of death at the time, but it is speculated it may have been food poisoning. Also during this time, students and teachers alike suffered temporary bouts of insanity, and later claimed to have been possessed. A priest attempted to carry out an excorcism in 1958, yet by then the school was shut by the government due to falling attendance. Finally, in 2008, the school was demolished, and construction of Blue Rose Academy commenced. The school will open in 2014.

It was here that Karl wound up in the other world for the first time, and nearly fell victim to the Shadows here. Whilst the team were fighting the powerful Unblessed Cherub, Karl awakened to his Persona and aided their assault.

_IX: Secret Base_

This mystery basement is somewhere in Farawell, yet the exact location has not been divulged. For the rebels, this place has been their home for a decade, and various rooms have been converted into small bedrooms. Usually, Kyle's computer will be running various programs even during his absence, whether they are gathering vital data, or downloading various emulators. The only method of getting inside here is via the NDD - the door leading to the stairs to the ground has been locked, and the key was disposed of long ago.

_X: The Mole_

The first pub Kaman Barrs opened. It had a somewhat refined atmosphere, yet it was good at making people feel relaxed. The building is actually underground, however. There is a private drinking area reserved for parties. Kaman had to sell this pub for unknown reasons, and now it is in the ownership of another company. Most customers believe it has gone downhill since then, yet it still enjoys healthy business. Blaine met Lucy here for the first time, and has fallen deeply in love with her. In fact, he regards her as the best relationship he's ever had.

In the Other World, Kaman retained this pub even after the outbreak of Shadows and the death of his wife Maria. In the following decade, his only friends were Dan, a drunk who had lost his young brother Matthew, and Shirley, the pianist and occasional singer. When Carlos came to kidnap Dan, he took Shirley instead and destroyed The Mole in an explosion, which killed all the drunken inhabitants. Kaman fortunately escaped via Aimee's Traesto, and keeps Maria's picture on his person at all times.

_XI: Madam Trisha's Coffee Shop_

A rather quiet place near Falcon View Apartments. Not particularly busy, yet the owner Trisha is a calm and friendly woman who works hard in making delicious coffee. Perhaps it could be considered old fashioned, but Amara loves it here. They serve gorgeous carrot cake, their most successful treat.

_XII: Silver Web_

Another trendy bar of Farawell, known for it's punk music and post-modern design, featuring chairs and tables that seem to defy the laws of gravity via clever illusion tricks. This does mean that they are expensive to replace, however. Blaine and Lucy have come here on occasion, and whilst she loves it here, he isn't quite so keen. Of course, him being him, he'll go whereve she wants, as long as he can get his favourite beer.

_XIII: Marianne Art Museum_

Named after it's first curator - a failed artist - Marianne Art Museum is yet another tourist attraction of the city. The art pieces on display are historic in both their sheer quality and the story behind each one of them. Even the building itself is a masterpiece, as the columns, walls and statues outside were created with the utmost perfection. Many foolish thieves have attempted to rob the museum, but very rarely have they succeeded. The last incident ended very badly for the criminal, due to an accident incurred whilst escaping. Serena joined Amara to watch a Modern Art Exhibition taking place here, where they met talented Egyptian artist Malik.

_XIV: Motus Lounge_

Kaman's latest pub, and whilst relatively unknown, it is receiving glowing reviews. The place is designed to have comfort without going overboard, so people can kick back and relax. Blaine fell in love with this place the minute he saw it, and soon ended up as a barman here. Now that he has a job he loves doing, his mood has improved drastically. He particularly enjoys casual flirting with women that come up to the bar, yet very often he has to point out he's taken. This naturally disappoints them. Kaman is a very relaxed boss, fitting with the bar's feel, and has pictures of him with every member of his staff on the wall. Those who have disappointed him will have their pictures burnt, however. Kaman does not tolerate betrayal well.

_XV: De Niro's_

Another Italian restaurant of New Motus City, and rather quiet - making it perfect for romantic dinners. The dim lighting, candles of the tables, and beautiful paintings of Venice, Sicily and Rome make it a hidden gem. The smell of garlic permeates the entire buiilding.

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><p><em><strong>LEGARTE<strong>_

Originally a port town. Nowadays, it is mostly known as a center of entertainment and commercialism, full of sprawling stores and restaurants, but the harbour area - divided into two - is still thriving, and the fishing industry remains strong. It might be the area most people overseas think of when they imagine this city, due to the imagery of the bridge and river, as well as the boats, flashing lights and restaurants. Plenty of businesses are doing well here as well.

_I: Silvana River & Bridge_

A river that goes through Legarte into an underground tunnel that exits at Nova Albion. While most boats dock at the harbour, some cruise ships and other sailors elect to go through the river to examine the beauty of the area. Several boats permanently on the river have been turned into restaurants or hotels, leading to a somewhat interesting feel. Many stalls, artsists and performers station themselves at either side, to take advantage of the tourism. Also, Johnson & Son's Bookstore, Pommes De Terrace, and the Coffee Cabin are here.

_II: Solar Ray Mall_

Originally built in the 1970's as the Seaside Mall. It was successful up until the 1990's, when other stores and centres opened up and stole most of their business. After a lengthy period of closure, a businessman named Roger Martin purchased the premises and began an intensive project to rejuevenate it, and renamed it after one of his favourite local plays. Now, it is the most popular mall in the city, despite the stiff competition. Many different stores are here, and there is an extensive food court, including a Pizza Castle. Keisha Vivaldi is currently working here as Roger's secretary. Also, Bianca runs a flower store outside, and enjoys great popularity. Blaine once worked here at Bar Seoul, before growing frustrated and working for Kaman Barrs instead.

The Other World's counterpart of this would be the Aeternus Supply Complex. A rather dreary place, only the basics are sold here. However, the place has been host to some suspicious activity regarding a top-secret Aeternus project...

What most people are not aware of is that prior to the building of the Seaside Mall, there was a Naval Base on this very sport. The only relic of that period is a black statue of an anchor by the entrance. There was an incident at this Mall which lead to all the soldiers here attacking random citizens, and eventually killing each other. The Naval Base moved to an indistinct building by the harbour.

_III: Lucille Valley High School_

One of the highest rated secondary schools in the city. Distinctive for a large LCD screen outside which has the latest school news, and thus students are reminded of homework and tests the minute they arrive. The school has a state of the art technology lab, where students can learn programming and even practice with shader programs. Currently attended by Serena and Kyle.

_IV: Motion Publishing_

A twenty-story tall publishing company, which mostly deals with magazines but they publish several books as well. On the 14th floor, Real People's staff work throughout the week. There are several successful food & drink titles as well, such as the one Alastair Clark works for. There is a cafeteria as well, yet it is somewhat repetitive, thus Amara and her staff prefer to venture further to eat. The exterior is mostly glass, which is good for impressive views of the city. Not so good for those with fear of heights, however...

_V: Legarte Harbour_

Divided in two halves by the Silvana River, this harbour was once where many tourists arrived upon the city. With the advent of moder air travel, however, few travellers travel by sea. Even so, there are still countless boats arriving and departing, and there is a definitive seaside smell, as well as an abundance of fish and seagulls. Zao works here alongside his grandfather Deo, often on their fishing boat. There are some small stores and stalls here as well, mostly selling fish and other treasures of the sea. The Mussel Inn restaurant is located here, and it's success is due to the fresh fish they serve in every meal.

_VI: Jump Start Skyscraper, aka 'Derelict Skyscraper'_

In the Normal World, Jump Start was a skyscraper built to house upcoming businesses, and so far has hosted many different organisations. The most successful of which being the Jump Start job agency. In the Other World, however, this skyscraper was completed shortly before the outbreak of Shadows, and thus became uninhabited and infested with Shadows as well as insects. Upon hearing reports of violence coming to homeless people trying to get inside, Archibald arrived. He learned of Roger's presence here, and soon offered him a possition in the Ornatu Legion.

_VII: Café Roma_

An Italian restaurant near the Silvana River, and where Lucy and Blaine had their first date. While not particularly special, they found joy in each other's company. Also, they have a decently priced breakfast meal. Alastair Clark reccomends this place, having enjoyed many meals here.

_VIII: Segholt Avenue_

This is where Kyle's House is. A typical suburban area, although his house has been modified to be wheelchair accessible. He lives here with his mother. Serena lives nearby as well, and thus they are often around at each other's house. Nina lived here prior to her work at Aeternus too.

_IX: Crystal Palace Bowling Park_

A popular place, filled with amusements such as arcade games, pool tables, and of course, bowling. Amara, Karl, Zao and Aimee once faced off against the Holy Cross here, and won.

_X: Azulmagia_

A privately owned cruise ship, often seen going down the Silvana River. In the Other World, this boat is permanently docked, and Pierre once challenged Dan, Amara, Serena and Kyle here. He lost, despite his clever display of illusions. Later, Roger once slept here during his absence from the rebels, only to be assaulted by Archibald and four Ornatu Legion minions.

_XI: Hazel Tower Apartments_

The building where Lucy and Shirley live. A desirable block of apartments, it has some strict hygiene rules. Blaine loves it when he's invited to their apartment, so he can spend time with his girlfriend. Unfortunately, this means having to eat one of her meals. Yet getting to play with her cat Lilith makes up for it, as she seems to have taken a liking to him. Often, he will wake up in Lucy's bed to see the furball curled up on his chest.

_XII: Symphonic Street_

This street leads away from the Harbour, and is filled with various recording studios and radio stations. There is also a TV and Film production company as well, trying to kickstart a film industry in New Motus City, with limited success. Adrian Gale works here in one recording studio, trying to find the next big thing. Hopefully, during the festival in October, he can find someone with real talent. Who doesn't have scorpion tattoos on their navel.

_XIII: Deo's House, 4 Newhaven Place_

Where Deo's grandfather lives, situated in a cul de sac near the harbour. The place is filled with items Deo has found at sea, with an entire room covered in seashells. Pictures of his daughter and Zao are all over the house, yet it is Zao who comes here the most. Deo is a friendly man, yet somewhat of a grizzly seadog, complete with long tangled beard. Bernard Severn, his unlikable neighbour, murdered Deo in the Other World and through his insanity convinced himself he was Deo. When Zao confronted him of the truth, Bernard went even more insane, but was slain by a Musha Shadow. In the Normal World, Bernard had already passed away in his sleep.

_XIV: Garden of Eden/Vivaldi Village_

The Garden of Eden is a moderately successful seafood restaurant, owned and ran by Henry and Lindsay Eden. Richard, their son, is often here, either helping out or eating. The restaurant was formerly owned by the Vivaldis, but due to financial issues they were forced to sell the restaurant to the Edens. Keisha remains sorrowful about the restaurant's change of hands, and has refused to ever set foot in there again. Yet Richard assues her harsh stares are because she has a fancy for him...

_XV: Interitus Legion Compound_

Only present within the Other World. This macabre facility was developed in secret by Tomas, without even Rudo's knowledge. It's purpose was to create a stronger counterpart of the Ornatu Legion, by reviving dead soldiers in completely emotionless forms and installing them with Personas that would never be rejected. While these experiments succeeded, Tomas eventually lost interest due to being unable to augment himself via that method without risking loss of his own identity. The Compound consisted of five Control Rooms, each responsible for a number of soldiers that are held with capsules suspended from the ceiling. As long as the Control Rooms remained active, the soldiers could regenerate after defeat. However, at the very bottom of this loathsome location was the Altar of Infinity, designed for monitoring Divine Spark activity. It is here that Zao fought his other self, and won - yet died in the process. Upon this tragedy, the building was completely destroyed by the final Divine Spark, and created a giant chasm that the Aeternus Supply Centre fell through.

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><p><em><strong>SARAGEL<strong>_

A seaside area that once competed with Legarte in fishing and sailing, but has long since became a hangout for the city's youth. The beach, during the warmer months, is teeming with life, full of people sunning themselves or enjoying the waves. People will ride their boasts in the seas nearby, or play sports on several courts (usually volleyball). Further from the shore, sport centers and nightclubs are all over, resulting in a noisy, hectic and chaotic environment at night, and hordes of cheering fans coming out to support their local teams.

_I: Cocoa Harbour_

A popular coffee shop on the Saragel Promenade, particularly with younger people. Above the kitchen door are portraits of famous authors and musicians. Amara has a fantasy of having her face in this shop one day, but for now is content having an Americano. And a chocolate chip muffin.

_II: Saragel Promenade_

Unlike Kanaloa, this district's beach is well known for it's beauty. Thus during the summer months, this place is packed with all sorts of people. The promenade is lined with amazing restaurants, ice cream stores, and other stores, and thus this is one treasure trove for the tourists. It was here that Amara met Zao for the first time, and thus this place has become even more special to her. In the Other World, the barrier around the city blocks off most of the beach, and thus the beautiful seas have been lost for ten years.

_III: Town Hall Museum_

Prior to the unification of the city, this was the centre of the Saragel government. Yet soon after the city was formed, the powers of the Town Hall became drastically limited. After the last mayor died in a mysterious accident, the building was converted into a museum, filled with items of historical value. Yet what no one knows is the truth behind the last mayor George. His son Edgar was a violent man, married to the meek Harriet, a nurse. Geogre disapproved of Edgar's participation in the Amurdad massacre, but his son did not take so well to being reprimanded by such a cowardly father. Thus, he killed George in cold blood and forced himself into power. However, his wife finally had enough, and shoved Edgar off a cliff. Overcome by guilt, she fled, never to be seen again. The only hint she ever existed was in a diary written by Eugene Dwight, a friend of Edgar who loved Harriet.

This would become a Divine Spark location in the Other World later, but not before thieves Nick, Brad and Keisha took this place as their base. The former two kidnapped Shirley and used her as a guard, yet by the time she had finally escaped, Nick and Brad were being tortured by Tomas in the Aeternus HQ and Keisha was grief stricken by their loss. Currently, it has returned as the Town Hall in Inanis, and Tomas and Rudo planned to use it as their base for the eventual takeover of the city. With the joint operation between the rebels and the Ater Vox, however, both of them were defeated and the Town Hall remains vacant.

_IV: Saragel Stadium_

An almost legendary stadium amongst the city's soccer fans. Built over Jasmine Park, this ground is where the home New Motus team play. Karl's team Lyeds play here now and again, most recently winning the local tournament, thus shooting them into stardom. Richard is also a member of that team. It was here in the Other World where the group met Keisha Vivaldi for the first time.

_V: Lorean Tower_

Only available in The Other World, this building controls power distribution throughout most of the city. Resembling a large lighthouse, it houses various generators which consume large amounts of energy every day. When Amara and the others encountered the Commander of the Ornatu Legion, they discovered his true identity was Blaine. They were soundly defeated, yet somehow activated a trap that led to the four of them falling into the Power Tunnels, an underground network that connects various buildings across the city via power generators. The source of the name is unknown, but Kyle believes the constructors thought of it as a tower of lore, like Babel.

_VI: Skadi_

Named after the Norse goddess of Ice, and nicknamed the 'Snowshoe Bar' as a result. The chairs, tables, glasses and other furniture are made entirely of ice. Therefore, one has to wear special jackets provided to enjoy their evening here. Amara doesn't like this place, due to her disdain for cold weather, yet when Karen arranged to start a girl's night out here, she had no choice but to turn up.

_VII: Loco Dance House_

A nightclub that, true to it's name, offers dancing mixed with madness. Each night, they have certain themes, such as Latin Rhythm. This club came to prominence in 2011 for being the set of a popular dancing competition on TV, yet once it was revealed the winner was fixed, the staff were forced to give out free drinks to the other entrants.

_VIII: Leopard Jungle_

This club is another trendy hotspot, with some great sounds and revealing leopard costumes all around. The tables and dance area are jungle themed, and thus some enthusiastic dances like to dance whilst swinging on the vines. Roger saw Karen for the first time in 14 years here, whilst she was hopelessly drunk and throwing herself at men in desperation. Despite this, they found they still loved each other, and plan to come here again as a couple.

_IX: Skylark Terrace_

The building where Karen lives, and a far more opulent apartment block than Amara's. Karen's apartment is almost showroom new, with attractive glass modern furniture and a great view of the city. Also, a kitchen equipped with top-notch appliances. Karen has recently moved into Roger's house, but has plans to rent out the apartment for extra cash.

_X: Wrecked Hotel/Angelic Vanguard Base/Aquamarine Lodge_

The Aquamarine Lodge's building has been occupied many times, but for various reasons the owners keep changing and thus the name and theme of the hotel changes with them. Currently, the hotel caters to budget travellers, and there is an outdoor swimming pool complete with a jacuzzi and sauna. Some rather sleazy men like to take their dates here.

In the Other World, it had been abandoned for quite some time, until Josephine had it revamped into the Angelic Vanguard Base. It was here that Karen engaged the rebels in battle, with Josephine aiding her. Later, after Karen's departure and the Angelic Vanguard's eventual irrelevance, Dan and Shirley fled here to escape from the Ornatu Legion. Alas, they were followed by the fearsome Trauma Shadow duo of the Ixion Stallion and Macabre Rider. With Matthew, Kyle and Serena's appearance, however, the two Shadows were defeated. Now, the building lies empty once more. Nearby is a homeless shelter that was burnt down that was paved over.

_XI: Whitefield Park_

A large grassy park, nowhere near as pretty as Aurelia, but very popular amongst sports fans. Karl is often here training, considering his team's official ground is right around the corner. Usually, his teammates are with him, and pushing him to the limit. Kyle was also trained here by Lucas, in preparation for his charity track event. There are many burn marks in the grass during the warmer periods of the year, due to disposable barbecues.

_XII: Zao's Apartment_

Where Zao lived. Amara tayed the night here quite a few times, and had grown accustomed to the smell of fish. There are pictures of Zao as a little boy with his grandfather everywhere, as well as relics from his fisherman job. Naturally, Zao lived right by the harbour, to get that ocean breeze right through his window. Now that Zao is dead, this apartment will likely be vacated and put back up for sale.

_XIII: Purple Mirror_

A nightclub known for it's purple décor, combined with magic mirrors and multicoloured serving glasses. Blaine took Nathan here, and to his surprise the latter had a ball of a time, even if he couldn't dance. Blaine is somewhat of a legend here, due to his dance moves (usually with his shirt open) and his way with the ladies. Due to his relationship with Lucy, however, he has toned down his partygoer ways.

_XIV: Right Wing_

Another seaside rooftop restaurant, and rather unknown. The menu is somewhat a blend of cultures, all to create a unique atmosphere. Whilst the food is delicious, the alcohol on offer is somewhat minimal, due to the owner's dislike of the hard stuff.

_XV: Opal Street_

A fairly nondescript street near the Museum. A few jewellery stores are here, but this is now mostly a residential area.

_XVI: Guardwell Street_

A street once filled with blacksmiths and armorers. Today, only one blacksmith remains open, and this has largely become a residential area.

_XVII: Silkwood Street_

Again, a nondescript street that has some clothes stores. Mostly a residential area.

_XVIII: Biela Vetra_

Another famous square. A small Catholic church is located at the north end, whilst the other sides lead to some modest eateries. The ground is painted with a beautiful winter scene - a forest filled with trees that graced the sky, branched covered with snow. Animals frolicking through the clearing, as the sun started to rise. And the snow fell from the sky, blown by the wind. Long ago, when the square was built, it didn't have a name. No one could agree on what it should be called, and they all thought that it was missing something. Then a foreigner came. He called himself the master of the white winds of snow. With every stroke of his brush, he could heal the wounds of the heart. So without even asking for permission, he started to paint. If someone tried to ruin it, he just started all over again. No matter what, he never stopped. Open completion, he vanished.

_XIX: Gilded Towers_

By far the most luxurious of the apartment buildings on Saragel, owned by the wealthiest inhabitants. Due to Karl's healthy salary, he finally managed to buy an apartment here, complete with hot tub and mini bar. Therefore, he gets to enjoy an ice cold beer whilst watching movies on his 3D HDTV, or he can play some games on his PS3 or Xbox 360 (mostly sports titles). The apartment likewise has good views of both the sea and the stadium.

_XX: Saragel Track_

A track for various sporting events. Kyle raced here, and thanks to Lucas' training managed to exceed expectations.

_XXI: Riqueza Centre/Gold Coin Casino_

Owned by the same company, the Riqueza is a popular shopping mall with a Spanish/Portugese theme, particularly in the restaurants, and the Gold Coin is a luxurious and celebrated establishment where many have met with success and failure. Nathan has visited here several times, mostly to socialise with reputable clients in a more relaxed setting. Due to the bar being open rather late, Blaine and Dan have enjoyed several long evenings here as well, often enjoying the waitresses. Although they tend not to be as enetertained by their antics. Recently, the Centre's business has declined due to the popularity of Solar Ray Mall, but the Casino continues to thrive.

In the other world, both buildings fell into ruin shortly after the Shadows struck. Yet in October 2012, Nihane ordered the refurbishment of both, and quickly the Casino was transformed into its old self. The Centre remains under reconstruction, yet Keisha Vilvadi will oversee the day-to-day operations. Kaman Barrs, a newly appointed Last Soldier, will be the manager of the Casino, and already has developed an unfavourable reputation amongst the Ornatu Legion. Why Aeternus have decided to spend time and money on this endeavour is unknown, yet clearly there is an ulterior purpose, considering most civilians will be too poor to afford any of the facilities.

* * *

><p><em><strong>NOVA ALBION<strong>_

Easily the most aristocratic area of the city, it is a place of high society and culture - with gigantic opera houses, theaters, museums and highly exclusive clubs and restaurants everywhere. Not to mention the palatial homes of those lucky enough to live here. Those of working class do not tend to thrive very well here, but the upper and middle classes enjoy their privileges very much. Some incredible corporations have their headquarters here, contributing to Nova Albion's massive wealth and prosperity.

_I: Nathan & Priscilla's House, 10 Primrose Place_

This expensive, luxurious property is where Nathan and Priscilla have lived for six years. Due to it's vast size, the two are prone to inviting friends to socialise, particularly in the summer where they can throw barbecues. The garden is vast, and thus Nathan can explore his secondary love of gardening by watering his plants, growing vegetables, and even putting up a greenhouse. They used to have several guest rooms, but due to a lack of use, they converted all but one of them into other rooms, such as a study, an exercise room, and a movie room. Nearby in Legarte are the Primrose Gardens.

_II: Reginald's House, aka Albion Manor_

An even bigger property, Reginald currently lives here alone. Until his wife Daphne passed away, she lived here with him - often bossing him around into redecorating the place and fussing about his makeshift bar. Nathan also once lived here, but after he graduated college he moved out properly. Yet he comes here often to keep his father company. In fact, almost every week he & Priscilla, and on occasion Tara & Adrian are around. Reginald is grateful to have other friends around as well, and thus has never truly felt alone, even after becoming a widower. Now that he is planning retirement, he intends to make even more changes.

_III: Roger's House, 18 Newhaven Road_

With his newfound wealth as the owner of Solar Ray Mall, Roger invested in a large property typical of the Nova Albion elite. Due to this, many former 'friends' have lost contact with him, and the only guests here were Roger's parents. (Naturally, he bought them a nicer place to live as well) However, he does keep in touch with old friends Blaine and Daniel, and now that he is finally back together with Karen, he has asked her to move in. So this big house won't feel so lonely anymore. Roger has set up a mini-theatre of sorts, complete with a surround sound system. He also has a pool with it's own wave machine, because 'getting to the beach is a pain'.

_IV: Augustus Square_

A large, opulent town square near Richmond Avenue that is the centre of a popular festival held during the month of August within Nova Albion. Numerous stores are to the left and right, as well as small art galleries and an impressive church. Nearby is the famous Gautier Restaurant. One fateful day in the 1970's led to Timothy Spencer, Blaine's late father, meeting his future wife Pauline here. On that same day, Nathan's father Reginald was called out for his close-minded, elistist attitude and subsequently dumped by his girlfriend Daphne. He went to great lengths to win her back, and thus bettered himself as a person. It was here where Amara and her other self defeated the Dominating Sorceress.

_V: Terpischore Opera House_

Named after one of the seven Greek Muses, this is a famous building dedicated to hosting operas of the highest calibre. By far the highlight of the theatre sector of Nova Albion, not just for the stellar performances night after night, but for the gorgeous dome architecture. Near Amber Road and George Cross Avenue.

_VI: Miller Mansion, 6th York Avenue_

This Mansion was once under the ownership of the wealthy Donatella family, that were unpopular with the other people in the area. With their elitist, close-minded natures, they eagerly supported the Amurdad destruction, and the younger members of the family even joined in the slaughter. However, a series of dark events transpired, and the family were killed one by one by the head of the household Oliver, before he killed himself. These days, the Miller family live here, yet their daughter Tara has recently moved to another house with her fiancé Adrian. There are three levels of basements here, each filled with amazing artifacts.

_VII: Appleyard Library_

One of the larger libraries in the city, it is a popular hang out for the local academia. The name comes from the garden reading area, where apple trees grow. When the apples are ripe, the staff take them and create fresh apple juice. Located on Richmond Avenue.

_VIII: Albion Inc. HQ_

The main building where the Albion Corporation carries out their day-to-day operations. For many decades, the company has been a producer of high-end electronics, sold throughout the city and international markets. Their most successful foreign market would be the United Kingdom, perhaps due to the Albion family's English ancestry. The current CEO is Reginald Percival Albion, yet very recently he has began procedure to step down and give the title to his son, Nathan. Nathan himself is employed as a Senior Manager of Marketing, whilst Priscilla is a secretary. Joe Kowalski is also an employee here, yet struggles to impress his bosses due to personal struggles.

_IX: Furaha Household, 17th Winchester Lane_

Yet another large residence of the city, somewhat near the outskirts. This is where Amara spent her childhood, and now she comes here every Sunday evening for dinner with her father. Her paintings and drawings are still on every wall, and her room has mostly been left untouched - thus, there are pencils, paintbrushes, sketchpads and erasers everywhere. The exterior also bears some striking large gardens, filled with elaborate floral arrangements.

_X: Aurelia Park_

A delightful park, and considered the most romantic spot for a date. Gorgeous floral displays are around in season, and various small streams lead into a large pond near the south end of the park, filled with swans and ducks. The large trees are a wonder to behold in the spring, scattering pink and white blossoms all over the grass, and the gazebos are where many couples spend preciousmoments together. On occasional, well-to-do couples are wed here, and the weddings are grand events.

_XI: Royal Blue Academy_

Nathan and Priscilla's secondary school. A very prestigious institution, with exorbitant fees. Only the best students are accepted, which meant Nathan and Priscilla had to study very hard to be admitted. During their time here, they grew closer, finally becoming a couple. Reginald studied here as well, and met his future wife Daphne here.

It was here that Nathan discovered his Persona aptitude, and discovered Josephine's malevolent nature. After a short battle with the Commander, Blaine Spencer, he found his father's corpse. Thereafter, he began to seek out revenge, and also to protect Priscilla, who went into hiding.

_XII: Caramathia Department Store_

An expensive and luxurious department store. Their goods are of the highest quality, and thus fetch a high price. There is a cafeteria on the highest floor that boasts a wide array of food. Also, there is a stunning Electronics department featuring 3D TVs, computers, massage chairs, and SLR cameras. Nathan and Priscilla love to do their shopping here, often to browse the Furnishings department to get ideas for their house.

_XIII: Lancaster Manor, 11th Winchester Lane_

Where Priscilla's parents Sebastian, a real estate developer, and Lavender, a renowned floutist, live.

_XIV: Tara & Adrian's House, 8th Amber Road_

Located near famous tennis grounds, this is where Tara and Adrian live. Not far from her parents house, she visits them often, yet it is somewhat of a long drive to get to Clairdol, so it is not always easy to put a day aside to go and see them.

_XV: Stone Falls Golf Course_

As Oscar Wilde once said, golf is a great walk spoiled. That being said, this place is still strikingly beautiful, and Reginald Albion is a masterful player. Even Nathan can't keep up with him, much to his embarrassment.

* * *

><p><em><strong>TAKANAWA<strong>_

This area is largely populated by those of Chinese, Japanese and Korean ethnicity. However, here Japanese people can actually get along reasonably well with their Chinese or Korean neighbours, a remarkable feat in the 21st Century. While many industries excel here, such as the various shopping markets and arcades, the most prominent are the prestigious schools, that educate incredibly talented students and propel them into academic success. It is the most diverse area in terms of culture, language and cuisine, attracting many Asian tourists - especially due to the classy hotels.

_I: Tachibana University_

A famous institute, that demands high performance from students on entrance exams. With many different schools, this establishment fosters a strong will to succeed in all their students. Known for it's beautiful cherry blossoms, or 'sakura', this is a common place for Japanese students to continue their higher education. At one point, the university considered changing their name to 'Hayasaka' University, but this was eventually vetoed. (A reference to Chiaki from Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne)

On this spot, a rather ambitious individual of nobility named Kaoru Tachibana had designs on forming an empire in Takanawa. To that end, he had a castle built, and gathered a small unit of soldiers. Beyond this, however, he had remarkable difficulty being taken seriously - not even after leading his unit to join in the massacre at Amurdad. After his men had tasted bloodlust, half of them decided they were through taking orders, yet the other half stayed loyal. The battle that ensued lasted for several days, until the would-be emperor fell to his death from the tower. The castle was demolished shortly afterwards, and the emperor's younder sister Mayumi began plans to build a university in his name.

_II: Yamanoka Supplies_

A company that produces stationery and other goods, mostly targeted towards students. Their sales raise expotentially during exam times, and even those in districts outside Takanawa purchase their high quality goods.

_III: Shiori Street_

An academic area, filled with bookstores and a library that surpasses Appleyard. This is the most modern street of Takanawa, and as with most areas in that district, there are a lot of different restaurants and cafés on offer. This is a common place for people on a budget to enjoy some cheap curry.

_IV: Takanawa Market_

One of the vast markets of the district, where one can purchase some wild and peculiar items from all over Asia. Treats include Malaysian sweets, Korean curry, and obscure electronics. Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of knock-off goods being sold here as well. Thus, shrewd customers will often examine every item carefully, much to the grievance of hapless shopkeepers.

_V: Shin Megami Tensei_

The direct English translation is 'True Goddess Reincarnation', and depicts the Shinto goddess Izanami being revived before her husband, the god Izanagi. No one is quite sure who built this statue, yet maintenance ensures it's beauty is not tarnished. It is said this statue has inspired a lot of artists, including a graphic novelist...

_VI: Miyazaki Sushi_

A moderately successful sushi restaurant in the eastern part of Takanawa, owned by Kazuya's parents. He works there part time, yet the most popular waitress there is the beautiful Miharu. Their popularity has waned slightly, however, due to the emergence of sushi restaurant chains. Yet the authentic decor appeals to many, especially the otaku crowd. Zao loves coming here, but considering it sells fish, that isn't a surprise.

_VII: Kitamura Dojo_

This Dojo teaches Karate in the Normal World, and is somewhat tacky in design, complete with golden lion ornaments outside the door. Despite this, the owner Roshi Kitamura and his brother Kyosuke are masters of their art, and well regarded as teachers. In the Other World, both Roshi and Kyosuke were out of the city visiting family during the Shadow outbreak, and have accepted the fact that they will probably never return. So they opened a new dojo in Fukuoka, Japan. The original dojo, however, has become filthy and covered in graffiti. Karen wound up here, until Josephine managed to convince her to join the Ornatu Legion.

_VIII: Mizutani Street_

Also known as Water Valley, this is another popular place to hold markets, with similarily unusual treasures. Takoyaki is a popular snack here. In the Other World, Carlos faced off against Zao, Roger, Blaine and Karen in this street, only to be defeated by Zao's Final Fate.

_IX: Shiyamiya Karaoke_

Karaoke is a popular pastime in Takanawa, and Shiyamiya is one of the many establishments where it takes place. There are private rooms where groups of friends can perform without being heard by total strangers, but the public area is the most popular. With a few beers, this place can become the setting for a magical evening - or an embarassing venture.

_X: Devil Busters Arcade_

The Devil Busters Arcade was once great place for gamers to have fun. Many popular games were here, bringing in everyone when tournaments were held. Alas, in the early 2000's, the arcade closed, and the area was been turned into an apartment complex. In the Other World, the arcade was left to rot, and just about every cabinet had been exposed to the Shadows and the weather. Kyle has scavenged here for rare parts, yet they are outdated.

_XI: Digital Destiny Arcade_

Another popular arcade that met a similar fate of Devil Busters. It was demolished and replaced with a Chinese themed hotel, yet some of the machines were preserved and available to the guests staying there. In the Other World, it is as run down as Devil Busters.

_XII: Cao Dian Tudi_

A more Chinese themed part of Takanawa, where takeaways and restaurants thrive. There is a keen martial arts trend here as well, with many dojos and schools teaching.

_XIV: Fa Si Rung_

Fa Si Rung - 'Rainbow Sky' - is a relatively new Thai restaurant, located on the outskirts of Takanawa. It has received incredible reviews, due to their polite and courteous staff, the bright yet subtle décor, the variety of the menu and of course, the delicious meals. While Takanawa is mostly dominated by Chinese, Japanese and Korean restaurants, Fa Si Rung demonstrates that Asian cuisine comes in many flavours.

_XV: Nakanobu Hotel_

A 5-Star luxury hotel in Takanawa's inner sector, near Tanikawa Road, the Nakanobu Hotel is a testament to Japanese architecture and design. While accommodation is unsurprisingly expensive (although there are reduced business rates), the restaurant is actually reasonably priced for the quality of the food served there. Alastair and Kazuya both rate it very favourably. The rooms are decorated with authentic Japanese ornaments, such as paper laterns, statues of the Shinto pantheon, replica katanas, and some rooms have futons instead of beds. There are two huge suites, the Imperial and the Royal, for grand occasions, as well as other facilities such as a swimming pool, a sauna, and a game room. There is a hotel with the same name in Tokyo, Japan.

The Other World was not kind to this hotel. Due to the dire situation, the staff of the hotel let anyone stay for free, resulting in utter chaos. The Shadows were heavily influenced by the darkness of humanity during this period, and eventually the hotel fell under a bizarre curse shortly after the majority of guests fled. The full extent of the curse was not known, but it involved the hotel being upside down (yet normal to anyone outside), rooms enchanted with an illusion to disguise their true ruined appearance, disembodied voices pretending to offer service, the stairs growing far longer than actuality, and when a person enters the hotel, they are warped to a random area inside. Peculiar Shadows - the Blank Maya - originated here. These mimicked other Shadows to murder them, but could also mimic Personas. These Mayas were mostly used to create the powerful Persona Doppelganger, which would later be administered to SD01 - Zao Yuria. The remainder were left in this hotel, allowing the curse to remain. Amara and friends, however, destroyed them, and the curse was lifted for good.

* * *

><p><em><strong>KANALOA<strong>_

Originally, this area lay dormant. No one seemed to know why, but there were laws passed to prevent anyone developing the land until the early 20th century. Finally, people could use this unused sixth area as a blank canvas for their dreams. Foreign developers sought to create a highly lucrative holiday resort area, full of great hotels and parks, and even though there were budgetary concerns, building proceeded.

Unfortunately, they did not have the budget to come close to their dreams. Corners had to be cut, resulting in many cheap, shoddy buildings that would not pull in any holidaymakers. The investors abandoned the project, leaving other companies to build one ugly factory after the other. Instead of rich tourists with thick wallets, Kanaloa became full of uneducated, unemployed families desperate for any kind of hope. Thus, it became a place known for crime, delinquents, alcoholics, drug dealers and loud motorcycles. Even in 2015, it is an awful place to live, and the police barely even care when an incident is reported there.

However, that is not to say Kanaloa has no worth. Those here have high ambition, and great work ethic, all part of a desire to reach a higher station in life. Thus, one can admire the spirit and determination of their inhabitants, yet perhaps not their mannerisms.

_I: Gregory Street_

The street where Dan and Blaine currently live. Somewhat more reputable than the others of Kanaloa, yet still prone to fights. Most of the people here respect Dan and Blaine's strength, and as such usually cheer as they speed past them on their motorcycles. The older neighbours once did not trust the two men, but over the years have come to accept them. The only currently open businesses on this street are a hairdressers, a cheap sandwich shop, a grocery store and Stella's Psychic Parlour. Around the corner is the Black Wolf bar.

_II: Black Wolf_

One of the many sleazy bars of Kanaloa, and usually filled with rowdy patrons night after night. Blaine was once kicked out for drinking underage, and later in 2006, Dan was banned for disorderly conduct involving a bad snooker game. The establishment is on the verge of closure, yet with the many alternatives in the area, the drunks will easily find other places to go.

_III: Stella's Psychic Parlour_

A tacky looking place on the outside, no one will deny that. But within, one can experience a genuine psychic reading, courtesy of the mysterious Stella Cleon. If one gets over the stereotypical fortune teller shop interior, they will have their future told, without a hint of ambiguity. Stella herself lives above the shop in a tiny apartment, and there are often large shipments of wigs sent there...

_III: Kanaloa Beach_

Seperated from Saragel's beach via a half-wall. Despite the relative cleanliness of the water, few tourists are keen to go onto the beach due to various lowlifes hanging out here. However, there are some surfers that are keen to sample the waves if the Saragel beach is too crowded. The seaside establishments enjoy less customers, but likewise on busy days some holidaymakers will be willing to go to them to avoid long queues.

_IV: Pride Square_

Sort of the centre of Kanaloa, and possibly the most appealing. Built after World War II, it commemorates fallen soldiers of Kanaloa who volunteered into military duty to protect their city. Among the names on the memorial are Hank & Evan Kingsley, Dan's great-grandfather and his brother. This is where Blaine activated a device given to him by the Ater Vox which was claimed to dispel Shadows from the entire area, only for it to trigger the Divine Spark here.

_V: Marchmont Terrace_

Back in the 1990's, this was a new and still pleasant area for families to live. As such, it was relatively untouched by the usual graffiti or trash other neighbourhoods were plagued with, and the buildings red and white bricks gleamed in the sunlight. Blaine once lived here with Dan's family, but after Rachel and David tragically died in a car accident, he, Dan and Matthew moved to Gregory Street and left this area behind. In the 2010s, it has become more or less like any other part of Kanaloa, although still better off than most.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AETERNUS HQ<strong>_

After the destruction of Kanaloa in the Other World, the area was left a wasteland filled with Shadows. Aeternus slowly took back the land and turned it into a desolate land where they could build their headquarters. This consists of their primary building, where they carry out day-to-day operations regarding the city and international relations (After all, the outside world has no idea what the truth really is, and the Ater Vox wish to keep it this way). The Meeting Room is where the Ater Vox regularly convene to discuss progress on various issues, and there are other departments as well. There is a strange building inside the HQ called the Chamber of Eternity, which Nihane alone has exclusive use of. It's purpose remains unknown, yet it seems to resemble the architecture of Amurdad. Outside, there are several Ornatu Legion dormitories, as well as an external laboratory. This was self-destructed by Tomas, however, once he became aware his secrets had been found out.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AMURDAD<strong>_

A settlement that existed for several centuries, led by the ruler Nihane Kronos. The people believed strongly in their heritage, and thus practised rituals and customs that mystified the other towns of the city. Finally, this grew into outright hatred, and a huge massacre took place - only Nihane Kronos, his wife and his son escaped with their lives. His daughter, on the other hand, was killed shortly after giving birth to her son - who was subsequently drowned. Her husband was murdered as well. The horrors of this event can be witnessed in the ruins of Amurdad, which have manifested in Inanis after the destruction of Kanaloa. The current Nihane Kronos is determined to ressurect his heritage at any cost, which may very well be the entire universe.

* * *

><p><em><strong>INANIS<strong>_

A strange plane of existence that became accessible in the physical realm, after New Motus City was forced into the sky. For the most part, it is a dormant expanse of white, yet after each Divine Spark, locations of the city's past appear. To reach Inanis, one can take the NDD which leads to the outside world, then walk several miles to the hidden entrance. However, Nihane and his comrades prefer to use the Convention Centre's portal, which directly leads to the centre of Inanis.

* * *

><p><em><strong>CLAIRDOL VILLAGE<strong>_

A settlement outside the city, this is a much calmer and quieter environment with little in the way of touristry. Surrounded by lush countryside and the sparkling Rica Beach, the villagers here live idyllic lives here. Younger inhabitants, however, often become bored and wish to make new lives for themselves in the city. News tends to travel fast, such as who the stunning barmaid Linda's new boyfriend is. Tara's grandparents are the mayor and mayoress of the village, and their wise guidance has maintained the village's prosperity. There are only two hotels here, both serving fabulous breakfasts.

In the Other World, not much has changed, except two lucky escapees of the city have been forced to spend ten years here. Matthew and Tara are now working as a junior detective and lifeguard respectively, whilst also contributing to the rebellion against the Ater Vox. Lucy also once worked here in the police department, but now resides with Blaine in the Secret Base after a short spell as an Ornatu Legion soldier. She still sees to it that her cat is safe, however. Blaine himself was once forced to spend several weeks here as he recovered from his injuries sustained during the Farawell Divine Spark.

* * *

><p><em><strong>LUCILLE HILL<strong>_

The tallest peak outside the city, this beautiful hill offers gorgeous views of the city, the theme park, the rest of the island, and the ocean. One can make out the coastline of faraway nations if they look carefully enough. Many people climb up here for both exercise and the sights, and thus Amara is often up here taking photographs or making sketches.

* * *

><p><em><strong>MOTUS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT<strong>_

The airport of New Motus City, and somewhat modest. However, there are a few establishments here to keep travelers entertained, as well as a duty free shop. Free Cloud is the airline of the city, and they offer direct flights to many countries. In the Other World, this place has been closed indefinitely, prompting travelers to arrive via boat to Clairdol instead.

* * *

><p><em><strong>TERRA HEIGHTS THEME PARK<strong>_

A massive attraction, boasting a large ferris wheel that can be seen from miles away. There are many other rides as well, and as such is hugely successful with families. Amara used to come here as a child, as did many of the other characters, but now that they are all adults or teenagers, they haven't had much incentive to go.

In the Other World, this place was shut permanently sometime after the Shadow Outbreak, and has never been entered since. Thus, the ferris wheel is covered in rust, resulting in a rather depressing sight. Will it ever be filled with the laughter of children again?

* * *

><p><em><strong>DARELL FOREST<strong>_

A fair distance from the city, it is a large forest packed with a wide variety of plants, trees, and wildlife. It has a healthy population of roe deer, yet they are shy and tend to flee if they spot a human. There is a camping ground nearby, yet it seems to be waning in popularity. Also, many laws are in place to protect the trees here from any potential threat.


	7. Ornatu Legion

AN: This is a list of the 'named' Ornatu Legion soldiers throughout the story. Some of which have already died, some became Interitus Legion Soldiers, but most are still around. Don't worry, pretty soon I'll have a proper Bonus Chapter! :D

* * *

><p><strong>Ornatu Legion Report<strong>

Date of Creation: 20/11/2003 02:31 AM

Last Edited: 1/10/2012 20:16 PM

_For the attention of A.V._ [Carlos Nadal]_ and relevant Personnel. Anyone without appropriate clearance to access this document will be severely prosecuted if they are found with any copy or attempt to access one. For more details, please consult the 'Restricted Files' guide on the InfoBank server._

**Author/s:**

Harriet Flint, Lois Noble, Desmond Pones & Simon Wicks of the Aeternus Personnel Department

This document contains personal information and combat statistics of the Ornatu Legion. Those who have passed away over 12 months ago will be removed from the list.

The Arcana of a particular soldier determines which Personas they are most compatible with. Equipping Personas of an alternate Arcana may result in abnormalities, therefore caution is advised. A full report on those findings is available under 'Persona Guidelines' in the Infobank Server. Unless otherwise stated, no Ornatu Legion soldier has a fixed Persona.

If a soldier is knocked out in any battle, they will lose their Persona and all memories they experienced whilst they were equipped with it. However, if their Persona is removed and changed without loss of consciousness, then memory loss will only be temporary. It is wise for soldiers to not have their Personas replaced regularly.

The abbreviations refer to the following:

**OL = **Ornatu Legion [First two of digits of ID indicate the soldier's official unit]

**FL = **Freedom League [Formerly lead by Roger Martin. Uniform is Black/Red.]

**AV = **Angelic Vanguard [Formerly lead by Karen Marshall. Uniform is White/Blue.]

**HC = **Holy Cross [Formally Disbanded. No new Holy Cross members will be registered.]

**LS = **Last Soldier [All Natural Persona Users, currently Keisha Vivaldi]

**CM = **Commander [Position Currently Unfilled, formerly Blaine Spencer]

**SD = **'Secret Division' [Details Unknown, Adrian Gale & Zao Yuria]

**Initiation Centres are Located at:**

Clearwater High School - Saragel (Headmaster: Cid Branning)

Lucille Valley High School - Legarte (Headmistress: Karrie Blake)

Pure Heart Academy - Farawell (Headmistress: Primrose Everbanks)

Sakura Odori High School - Takanawa (Headmistress: Setsuna Yamane)

Royal Blue Academy - Nova Albion (Headmaster: Donald Macleod)

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Michelle Hartford

**Arcana: **Lovers

**ID No: **OL-4239-FL

**Age: **23

**Weapon: **Sword

**Initiation Centre: **Clearwater High School

**Initiation Date: **04/08/06

**Status: Terminated - **Slain in League VS Vanguard Conflict - 04/07/12

**Normal World Note:** Michelle was Amara's best friend during art college. An experienced painter, she particularly enjoys larger scale projects that get the community involved. Ever since graduation, however, Michelle has been living with her boyfriend Miguel in Mexico, and only speaks to Amara every several weeks. However, she intends to return for the festival.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Lucas O'Neil

**Arcana: **Strength

**ID No: **OL-4898-FL

**Age: **17

**Weapon: **Sword

**Initiation Centre: **Lucille Valley High School

**Initiation Date: **06/07/11

**Status: Terminated - **Unknown Cause - 06/08/12

**Normal World Note:** Lucas is a classmate and now close friend of Serena and Kyle. While he lacks an interest in any game that isn't sports related (although he has a fondness for Mario Party, and doesn't mind socialising via gaming), he shares with them an interest in bettering the school. He is very athletic, winning several track and other sports events for the school.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Colette Harrison

**Arcana: **Moon

**ID No: **OL-4338-FL

**Age: **22

**Weapon: **Spear

**Initiation Centre: **Pure Heart Academy

**Initiation Date: **11/10/07

**Status: Terminated** - Unknown Cause - 06/08/12

**Normal World Note: **Colette is the fashion columnist for Real People, and a rather bubbly, sociable girl with an ever-expanding wardrobe. In her past, she had severe bullying issues, leading her to concentrate on making herself look pretty to make it all stop. She and Juan seem to have a relationship blossoming, yet so far it remains casual.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Adam Grant Kennard

**Arcana: **Hierophant

**ID No: **OL-4850-FL

**Age: **17

**Weapon: **Spear

**Initiation Centre: **Lucille Valley High School

**Initiation Date: **06/07/11

**Status:** Active

**Normal World Note: **Adam is one of the highest performing students of the school, and doesn't get along well with Serena or Kyle. A very keen History buff, he finds Mrs Barrs somewhat irritating due to her being less serious than his past teachers. He has older siblings living in Finland & Poland.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Miharu Asahi

**Arcana: **Hermit

**ID No: **OL-4839-FL

**Age: **16

**Weapon: **Shotgun

**Initiation Centre: **Sakura Odori High School

**Initation Date: **02/05/12

**Status: Terminated - **Defeated by Shadows in Saragel Area - 20/09/2012

**Normal World Note: **Miharu is a high school student and a waitress at Miyazaki Sushi.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Daryl Matheson

**ID No: **OL-4683-FL

**Age: **19

**Weapon: **Shotgun

**Initiation Centre: **Clearwater High School

**Initiation Date: **17/4/09

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note: **Daryl is a mechanic working in Kanaloa.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Jennifer Kendall

**ID No: **OL-4523-FL

**Age: **20

**Weapon: **Knives

**Initiation Centre: **Pure Heart Academy

**Initiation Date: **18/9/08

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note: **Jennifer is a sales assistant at Rosa Candida at Solar Ray Mall, and a friend of Colette.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Joseph Kowalski

**Arcana: **Hanged Man

**ID No: **OL-3868

**Age: **28

**Weapon: **Knives

**Initiation Centre: **Royal Blue Academy

**Initiation Date: **21/12/02**  
><strong>

**Status: Terminated - **Unknown Cause - 06/08/12

**Normal World Note: **Joseph, more commonly known as Joe, is an employee at Albion Inc. and currently married to long-term lover Victoria. Noted for being habitually late, due to his terminally ill father only being lucid early in the day. After nearly a year of arguing, he and Victoria finally wed in front of his father in hospital, with Nathan and Priscilla in attendance. Unfortunately, his father passed away soon after the ceremony.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Sheila Rebeau

**Arcana: **Justice

**ID No: **OL-4301-FL

**Age: **22

**Weapon: **Rapier

**Initiation Centre: **Clearwater High School

**Initiation Date: **04/08/06

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note: **Sheila is the relationships columnist for Real People, and known for being rather sardonic, snarky, yet witty. Very politically minded, often dedicating her services to various protests and debates. Recently, her aim is to prevent the closure of the hotel her French grandfather was born. She likes to mock Juan for his flirtatious ways.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Steven Black

**Arcana: **Temperance

**ID No: **OL-4819-FL

**Age: **17

**Weapon: **Rapier

**Initiation Centre: **Lucille Valley High School

**Initiation Date: **06/07/11

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note: **Steven is a solitary student of Serena's school that works part-time at a supermarket, and likes to build boats.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Catherine Oakley

**Arcana: **Chariot

**ID No: **OL-4520-AV

**Age: **17

**Weapon: **Sword

**Initiation Centre: **Lucille Valley High School

**Initiation Date: **06/07/11

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note: **Catherine is a foreign exchange student hailing from North Carolina, and due to her looks and attitude has become the 'it' girl of her year. Lucas and Adam both vie for her affections, yet she seems to have her eye on someone else. She rarely interacts with Serena and Kyle, yet has decided to invite them all to her host family's house for a party.

**(AN:** It just occurred to me that Catherine, being an exchange student from the US, wouldn't likely be in New Motus City in 2002 for her to be in the Ornatu Legion. So...she and her family visited the city back when she was a little girl, and that's how she got trapped. Best I can think of. XD)

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Liam Brent

**Arcana: **Emperor

**ID No: **OL-3516-AV

**Age: **27

**Weapon: **Sword

I**nitiation Centre: **Royal Blue Academy - Nova Albion

**Initiation Date: **21/12/02

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note:** Liam plays for the Lyeds Soccer Club, and acts as a mentor of sorts for Karl and Richard. He also plays for the National Motus Team internationally, and is hoping to have Karl and Richard be signed to play with them after their performance in the Motus Cup.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Brittany McDonnell

**Arcana: **Empress

**ID No: **OL-4362-AV

**Age: **22

**Weapon: **Axe

**Initiation Centre: **Clearwater High School

**Initiation Date: **04/08/06

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note:** Brittany is a hairdresser in Farawell, and also a friend of Jennifer and Colette.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Juan Cortez

**Arcana: **Hierophant

**ID No: **OL-4379-AV

**Age: **22

**Weapon: **Axe

**Initiation Centre: **Sakura Odori High School

**Initiation Date: **04/08/06

**Status: Terminated **- Accident in Saragel Soccer Stadium - 26/09/12

**Normal World Note:** Juan is the travel columnist for Real People, and somewhat of a casanova. He is thus thrilled to be practically the only male on the magazine, alas most of them have partners or aren't interested. He does have something going with Colette, however, and is very quick to defend her if the need arises. He and his family originate from all over South America, with his parents living in Mexico, cousins in Chile, a brother in Ecuador and a sister in Brazil.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Tess Sharla

**Arcana: **Tower

**ID No: **OL-4867-AV

**Age: **17

**Weapon: **Glaive

**Initiation Centre: **Sakura Odori High School

**Initiation Date: **06/07/11

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note:** Tess is a high school student in Takanawa, of South African descent. She also works part time in an auction house.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Tristan Lyons

**Arcana: **Judgment

**ID No: **OL-4399-AV

**Age: **22

**Weapon: **Glaive

**Initiation Centre: **Pure Heart Academy

**Initiation Date: **04/08/06

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note:** Tristan is a professional runner, who actually competed in the London 2012 Olympics. Having failed to win a medal, he aims to be ever better for the Rio 2016 games. He and Karl are acquintances.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Emma Diane Wakefield

**Arcana: **Devil

**ID No: **OL- 4939-AV

**Age: **16

**Weapon: **Twin Tonfa

**Initiation Centre: **Royal Blue Academy

**Initiation Date: **02/05/12

**Status: Inactive** - Receiving Therapy (Survived Attack by Shadows - 20/09/12)

**Normal World Note: **Emma is high-spirited boarding school student of Nova Albion, and aspires to become a great chef. She is an almost obsessive fan of Alastair Clark, and has developed a crush on him. However, he finds her somewhat of a chore to deal with, and is at least ten years older than her. That, and he has a girlfriend of his own.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Brian Talbot

**Arcana: **Justice

**ID No: **OL-3970-AV

**Age: **26

**Weapon: **Twin Tonfa

**Initiation Centre: **Lucille Valley High School

**Initiation Date: **21/12/02

**Status: Terminated - **Defeated by Shadows in Saragel Area - 20/09/12

**Normal World Note:** Brian is studying to be a doctor, and delivers pizzas to make ends meet. He and Lucy once dated, but he unceremoniously dumped her via text, calling her a 'fucking bitch'. Blaine, upon hearing this, offered to punch the 'pepperoni' out of him.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Victoria Henley (Kowalski in Normal World)

**Arcana: **Priestess

**ID No: **OL-3698-AV

**Age: **29

**Weapon: **Rapier

**Initiation Centre: Royal Blue Academy**

**Initiation Date: **21/12/02

**Status: Inactive - **Injuries taken during Legarte Divine Spark

**Normal World Note:** Victoria is a young lawyer working for a reputable firm, and currently married to long-term love Joe. His father once saved her life, leading to her meeting Joe - and thus she was very adamant on marrying before he passed away. She finally got her wish, yet Mr Kowalski died almost immediately after the ceremony finished.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Frederick Jenkins

**Arcana: **Magician

**ID No: **OL-4783-AV

**Age: **18

**Weapon: **Rapier

**Initiation Centre: **Sakura Odori High School

**Initiation Date: **08/05/10

**Status: Terminated - **Defeated by Shadows in Saragel Area - 20/09/12

**Normal World Note:** Fred is a punk of Kanaloa, and tends to get in trouble every five minutes. His family have many issues besides being poor - his sister recently left an abusive relationship, his father is a recovering alcoholic, and his mother revealed she once supported the family via prostitution. He tends to be wary of Blaine & Dan, who gave him harsh words - and several punches - after he tried to rob Matthew.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Sanjana Patel

**Arcana: **Sun

**ID No: **OL-4682

**Age: **19

**Weapon: **Chakrams

**Initiation Centre: **Sakura Odori High School

**Initiation Date: **17/04/09

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note: **Sanjana is a pretty young girl of Indian descent, yet likes to rebel against tradition. She studies at the same college as Lucy, and is generally kind, courteous, and polite. When she's angry, however, she remains the same - allowing her insults to be disguised as compliments.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Raymond Gordon

**Arcana: **Emperor

**ID No: **OL-4129

**Age: **24

**Weapon: **Chakrams

**Initiation Centre: **Lucille Valley High School

**Initiation Date: **21/06/04

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note: **Raymond is a young Mathematics student of Lucille Valley High, and tends to be unable to control his classes very well. As a result, he is regarded as a flake by almost all of the students and teachers, despite his attempts to assert his ego.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Esther Ryder

**Arcana: **Moon

**ID No: **OL-4739

**Age: **18

**Weapon: **Rifle

**Initiation Centre: **Royal Blue Academy

**Initiation Date: **08/05/10

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note:** Esther is an aspiring vet, fond of almost every animal - especially horses. Her family own horse stables just outside the city, and she is always ready to teach people how to ride the beautiful creatures. Although she does not know, she is very distantly related to Nathan (they share great-grandparents).

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Vincent Perkins

**Arcana: **Temperance

**ID No: **OL-4539

**Age: **20

**Weapon: **Rifle

**Initiation Centre: **Clearwater High School

**Initiation Date: **18/09/08

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note: **Vincent is a quiet architecture student, and recently his girlfriend had a baby. As a result, he almost had to quit school, but his parents pressured him into continuing his studies.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Cuiling Chang

**Arcana: **Star

**ID No: **OL-4725-AV

**Age: **18

**Weapon: **Iron Claws

**Initiation Centre: **Sakura Odori High School

**Initiation Date: **08/05/10

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note:** Cuiling hails from Hong Kong, and as a result speaks fluent Chinese & English. At a young age, she discovered her talent for songwriting and singing, as well as dancing, and at the age of fifteen released her debut single 'Firework Fling', after winning a TV talent contest. Her stage name is 'Cu Cu X', apparently to emphasis her 'double cuteness', and that she is 'X-ceptional'. Dating Sidney.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Atiqah Tengku

**Arcana: **Death

**ID No: **OL-4061-FL

**Age: **25

**Weapon: **Whip

**Initiation Centre: **Sakura Odori High School

**Initiation Date: **12/05/03

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note: **Atiqah is a stern Economics PHD student of Malaysian origin. While her studies are hard, she never backs down, and has her eye on becoming a teacher. She was once friends with Sheila Rebeau, but due to their busy lives they haven't had a chance to catch up. She's very calm and serious, and seems to be completely humourless about most things.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Bruce Jenkins

**Arcana: **Moon

**ID No: **OL-4616-FL

**Age: **19

**Weapon: **Whip

**Initiation Centre: **Pure Heart Academy

**Initiation Date: **17/04/09

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note:** Bruce is a young man with dreams to become an actor. Having only starred in obscure adverts on TV, he has doubts on the future of his career. Yet there is a film role that sounds very promising in the pipeline. He's also Cuiling's boyfriend, although she has ignored him lately to focus on her education, as she is facing the gruesome entrance exams to Tachibana University whilst trying to keep her career afloat.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Sidney Laidlaw

**Arcana: **Strength

**ID No: **OL-4445-AV

**Age: **21

**Weapon: **Iron Claws

**Initiation Centre: **Pure Heart Academy

**Initiation Date: **11/10/07

**Status: **Active

**Normal World Note:** Sidney is an arrogant young biker who tries far too hard to be cool, like the older bikers in town. He'd give anything to be as skilled as someone like Blaine or Dan, but he just lacks the talent. He's been in trouble with the law many times, and is considered by many as a complete nuisance. However, he is surprisingly good at carpentry, and seeks to start a career in that field.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Adrian Gale

**Arcana: **Fortune

**ID No: **OL-3739-SD00

**Age: **28

**Weapon: **Twin Swords

**Persona: **White Rider

**Initiation Centre: **Royal Blue Academy

**Initiation Date: **21/12/02**  
><strong>

**Status: Terminated **- Reported Dead 06/08/12 after nine months of absence

**Normal World Note:** Adrian is Tara's fiancé who works at a recording studio, attempting to find new talent. He met Nathan, Priscilla and Tara during their studies at university, and fell in love with the latter the moment they met. He is a sworn ally of Nathan ever since graduation, and the four of them remain close, and will continue to do so. In the Other World, he fell in love with another woman, only to be subjected to the Secret Division project.

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Zao Yuria

**Arcana: **Fool

**ID No: **OL-4386-SD01

**Age: **21

**Weapon: **Glaive

**Persona: **'Doppelganger' (Persona cannot be found on Database), formerly Mizuchi

**Initiation Centre: **Clearwater High School

**Initiation Date: **04/08/06

**Status: Terminated - **Reported Dead 10/10/12 after four months of absence

**Normal World Note:** Zao was Amara's boyfriend, and an almost constantly cheerful fisherman working under his grandfather Deo, a master of his craft. He gained the Persona Rashnu after following Amara into the Other World one day, and was incredibly frustrated at his lack of strength. Around the time Karl joined the team, Zao dedicated himself to gaining power, and learned six attacks that, whilst deadly, drained him of energy quickly. Even after this, he still felt inferior to everyone else, and also had issues with his parents over his lack of ambition.

The Other World's Zao was also an optimistic, smiling soldier who always volunteered to keep his grandfather safe. Due to his ambition and potential, he was the second victim of the Secret Division Project, which robbed him of all indentity and soul, leaving him a shell that obeyed orders. In his final confrontation with Zao, the link created by Doppelganger to him resulted in the Persona's transformation into another Rashnu, and the flow of thoughts between both Zaos led Other Zao reach the conclusion that he had been cloned, and that clone had murdered his grandfather. After a heartbreaking battle, Other Zao was utterly consumed by Zao's Never More. Unfortunately, Zao himself was doomed as well...

* * *

><p><em>The following gained their Persona naturally, and thus did not attend any Initiation Centre.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Alastair Clark

**Arcana: **Justice

**ID No: **HC-1

**Age: **26

**Weapon: **Sword

**Persona: **Michael

**Status: **Deserted - Allied with rebels after Divine Spark of Farawell

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Bianca Summers

**Arcana: **Lovers

**ID No: **HC-2

**Age: **23

**Weapon: **Rapier

**Persona: **Gabriel

**Status: **Deserted - Allied with rebels after Divine Spark of Farawell

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Kazuya Miyazaki

**Arcana: **Hierophant

**ID No: **HC-3

**Age: **24

**Weapon: **Daggers

**Persona: **Uriel

**Status: **Deserted - Allied with rebels after Divine Spark of Farawell

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Richard Eden

**Arcana: **Chariot

**ID No: **HC-4

**Age: **21

**Weapon: **Spear

**Persona: **Raphael

**Status: **Deserted - Allied with rebels after Divine Spark of Farawell

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Blaine Spencer

**Arcana: **Magician

**ID No: **CM-01

**Age: **30

**Weapon: **Gun

**Persona: **Tlaloc

**Status: **Deserted - Allied with rebels after Divine Spark of Farawell

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Roger Martin

**Arcana: **Emperor

**ID No: **LS-01-FL

**Age: **35

**Weapon: **Katars

**Persona: **Kanaloa

**Status: **Deserted - Allied with rebels after Divine Spark of Takanawa

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Karen Marshall

**Arcana: **Tower

**ID No: **LS-02-AV

**Age: **34

**Weapon: **Sword

**Persona: **Aeshma

**Status: **Deserted - Allied with rebels after Divine Spark of Takanawa

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Lucille Victoria Crossman

**Arcana: **Devil

**ID No: **LS-03

**Age: **21

**Weapon: **Gun

**Persona: **Inanna

**Status: **Deserted - Allied with rebels after Divine Spark of Saragel

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Shirley Evens

**Arcana: **Death

**ID No: **LS-04

**Age: **22

**Weapon: **None

**Persona: **Rhiannon

**Status: **Deserted - Allied with rebels after Divine Spark of Saragel

* * *

><p><strong>Name: <strong>Keisha Vivaldi

**Arcana: **Devil

**ID No: **LS-05

**Age: **23

**Weapon: **Sword & Daggers

**Persona: **Lorelei

**Status: **Active - Former rebel, joined after Divine Spark of Saragel


	8. A Digital Diversion

**AN: **It's about time I finally did one of these virtual battles. This one, unlike all subsequent ones, features five Duality characters that I decided to give Personas and fighting styles. Next time, however, I will do a fight featuring Devil Survivor 1 or 2, Shin Megami Tensei IV, Devil Summoner or Soul Hackers. Although that might take a while. As for the five Personas;

Freya is a Norse goddess of love and beauty.

Helen is Helen of Troy.

Haokah is a Lakotan god of wind.

Cai Shen (财神) is a Chinese god of fortune.

Tyrrhenus is a founding figure of the Etruscan Cities.

Enjoy! (And by the way, this is set between Chapters 73 and 74. So don't read if you haven't gotten to that point yet.)

* * *

><p><strong>Bonus Chapter 8: A Digital Diversion<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>|October 6th|Secret Base|19:30 pm|<strong>

It was an average day for the Secret Base. As average as secret rebels living in hiding from a despotic government can get, of course. Kyle and Serena were at his computer, carefully examining code for one of his pet projects. They had gone through many snacks, such as the cheesy breadsticks Blaine gave them from the Motus Lounge. He also threw in his homemade garlic dip, a brand he claimed was 'so awesome, even vampires can't resist'. As a result of their snacking, the teens had gotten crumbs all over the desk and floor.

"So, does Chef Spencer meet with your approval?" Dan asked, as he drank some of Kaman's homebrew beer.

"Yeah, it does. I just wish he gave us more." Kyle said.

"Just how did Blaine get into cooking, anyway?" Serena asked.

"Well, back when it was me, him and Matthew, we hardly knew how to cook. I tried, but it was just a pain in the ass, so I quit. But Blaine didn't give up. We might have been on a budget, but he wanted us to have good food every night. And so he decided he'd get better each and every time, so that Matthew didn't have to grow up without nice family meals. Only thing I really liked doing was making the coffee." Dan said. "But Matthew was a little young for that stuff. Guess it's lucky how great at cooking Shirley is, huh?"

"Too many cooks spoil the broth, they say. I should know. I once volunteered to help Maria's brother in the kitchen...big mistake." Kaman said, shuddering. "For a long time after that, I had a phobia of noodles."

Before the others could speculate on this disastrous incident, Aimee returned from reconnaissance in Takanawa, only to discover the mess. Frowning, she tutted, in the manner of an uptight housewife.

"You're turning this place into a pigsty!" She said. "Have you no shame, you two?"

"Oh, leave 'em." Dan said, drinking a beer Kaman had brewed. "You know, you're really killing the romance by complaining."

"...Yet we're sitting there watching them." Kaman said, smirking. "I was never into geeky stuff like them. Apart from Star Trek. Apparently they did a reboot in 2009...kinda wish I could see it."

"Yeah...there's a ton of good movies we've missed." Dan said. "I mean, we can download them from Kyle's PC, but that's not the same thing. I used to love going to the cinema, either on a date or with my brother, and just...letting myself enjoy the movie."

"Um...guys?" Other Serena said. "We're not on a date. Maybe if you got an actual lampshade, it'd be more romantic. We're working on that Virtual Battler device! It's working great!"

"Oh?" Aimee said. "You said you can create copies of real people, right? Who have you made?"

"Right now, we've made the Ater Vox. They're mostly complete, but I just need to consult everybody else and review my combat notes to ensure the data is accurate. However, with Serena's help, I've been able to make stuff up with five other people." Kyle said, grinning. "Here, take a look."

Aimee, Kaman, and Dan got up and stared at the screen. On display was a young lady with blonde hair in curly pigtails, and big brown eyes. She wore a light red lipstick, ruby earrings, and a red ribbon around her head. For her clothes, she had a pale purple coat with pink cuffs and shoulders, a salmon coloured ribbon around her neck, a black mini-skirt and pink high heel boots. In her hand was a huge black and purple bow.

"It's Colette!" Serena said. "You know, the one Amara's friends with. And the one that used to be in the Ornatu Legion..."

"Ah, I remember the guys from the other world talking about her. So you turned her into a fighter, huh?" Kaman said. "She's a pretty lass, if I say so myself."

"You think so? Wait until you see the next lady!" Dan said, grinning.

Kyle clicked on a button, and Colette disappeared. A new image was on display, of a taller blue-haired, orange-eyed female. She had a more cynical look to her face, and more muscle tone. She had a blue leather top with matching long gloves, navy leggings, brown boots and a fetching hat. Her weapons were a pair of pink tonfa.

"Hmm." Kaman said. Then, he started laughing, and ruffled Dan's hair. "Now I get it! She looks like Shirley, don't she? Nice hips..."

"Dan helped me design the outfit." Kyle said. "I say helped, but it was mostly me vetoing his suggestions of swimsuits and leopard skin loincloths."

"Do we need to tell Shirley of your infatuation with blue haired women?" Aimee asked, jabbing Dan sharply in the chest.

"...Nah, best not." Dan said, sweating. "I wonder what she'd look like in a swimsuit, though..."

"Oh, get on with it, Kyle. Who's next?" Kaman said.

"This guy called Juan." Kyle said, displaying the next one. A man of Hispanic descent appeared. His hair was black, and his eyes also orange. Like Sheila, he wore a nifty hat - a red one, made of fine material. His long coat matched, with black and gold designs, and a cravat to finish. He also had black gloves, trousers, and red boots. In his hand was a rather large shotgun, with a red barrel.

"Oh...didn't he get killed over here too?" Serena asked. "It was when we found out about...Zao."

"Dammit. This guy died because of Pierre." Dan said. "And he'd turn it around saying that it was Zao's fault Juan died, not his. What a fucking cuntbag!"

"...That's a new one." Kaman said, amused. Aimee glared at the both of them, and tutted. "Oh, I mean...uh...shame on you, Dan. Saying that in front of these incredibly impressionable 17 year olds."

"Dan, I frequent a lot of message boards. Even with profanity filters, you'd be surprised what kind of filth people say. Especially when it comes to the pronunciation of 'gif'." Kyle said. "Anyway, moving on..."

The next person was Lucas O'Neil, a classmate of Serena and Kyle in the Normal World. He had died in the Nova Albion Divine Spark, along with Colette, Adrian and Joe. This version of him kept the blue hair and eyes, yet he wore a black, orange and white vest. He had black gloves with spiked orange cuffs, heavy white and orange boots, black pants and a glittery orange scarf. As if there wasn't enough orange in the mix, his sword had a giant, almost lava-like blade.

"...What's with the oversized sword?" Aimee asked. "And how is he holding it in just one hand?"

"I dunno, it just looks cool." Kyle said. "Apparently Lucas is really strong...so I put that into the stat points. He's kind of dim, so he can't use a bit of magic."

"Oh! That must be why Dan's magic sucks!" Kaman said, jovially. Dan sighed, and rolled his eyes. "Oh, lighten up. Having brawn is good. You can carry the heavy supplies back here! Which means I can make more booze."

"...Uh, okay." Serena said. "Can we go on to the last one?"

"Yeah, yeah. Now this guy is called Adrian. He used to be in the Ornatu Legion." Kyle said. "He was the first of the SD project. Tara's engaged to him in the other world. I don't really know that much about him as a person, but I think I did a good job with him."

Kyle showed off Adrian, a young man with short, swept-back brown hair and grey eyes. He had a black vest with green vertical lines down the left and right, and a green neckerchief. His bracers were green too, and his grey shorts had bright green lines down them. Finishing this look were a pair of dark green sandals and an orange Jolly Roger tattoo. In his hand was a long green staff, similar to Nathan's.

"Wow, he's...quite handsome." Aimee said, blushing. "I like that tattoo..."

"Really? But you don't like my dragon?" Dan said, sadly. "It's the most bitchin' thing ever!"

"You certainly look like a son of a bitch with it." Kaman said, chuckling. "You only kept it cause it was too expensive to remove, huh?"

"...Up yours, pal!" Dan whined.

Aimee cleared her throat, and Dan gulped. "Okay, so we have a group of foes to try out. Who are we going to test them on? There's only four of us here."

Just then, the NDD began buzzing with life, as five unknowing guinea pigs wandered into the room.

"Hey, everyone." Amara said. "...Why are you looking at us like that?"

"No reason! It's just good to see you're all okay! And hopefully well. There's something we'd love for you to see..." Aimee said, sweetly.

**|Saragel - Whitefield Park|19:47|**

"I can't believe you talked us into this." Nathan said, groaning. "You want us to beat up Adrian? _Again_?"

"Relax, this one isn't as creepy as the one you saw before." Kyle said. "He's just...a normal guy. Well, as normal as you or me."

"We really are one crazy bunch of characters." Blaine said.

"So we're gonna see what Colette, Juan & Sheila would be like if they had Personas? Awesome!" Zao cheered. "I kinda wish Karl had turned up..."

"Ah, you two will patch things up." Amara said, reassuringly. "Serena, are you okay with fighting Lucas?"

"...I'm always ready." Serena said. "I've had to fight my own sister, remember? I can handle a friend from school. And this is just for fun. Let's go!"

Kaman chuckled, passing Dan a bag of paprika potato chips. "That's the spirit, kid! Dan, I think this is going to be fun. How about a bet? If your boy Blaine can't kill a single one of those dorks, I get that rare bottle of wine you've been hiding!"

"Oh, you're on, pal." Dan said. "And if Blaine does get a kill in, you have to let me in on your secret recipe!"

"...How are you two not alcoholics?" Other Serena said. "Whatever. Kyle! Can we get started? Before anyone sees us?"

"Naturally. Here we go! Here come the **Duality Dynamites**!"

Kyle laid his device on the ground, and five green lights began to flash. One by one, each of the five digital combatants emerged, and Amara gasped. Colette, Juan, and Sheila, fighting side by side. Serena seemed pretty amazed to see Lucas, too. And there was Adrian, Nathan's best friend. All of them so different...

"Wow! This outfit is awesome! And I got it for free! Woohoo!" Digital Colette cheered, dancing around childishly. Blaine scratched his head, stepping slightly away.

"Oh, put a sock in it." Digital Sheila said, pointing her tonfas at their enemies. "We're here to fight! I might just be an avatar, but there's not a foe whose bones I can't break! So if you dare to defy me, you're history!"

"...Wow. Just like my wedding night." Kaman said. Dan raised his eyebrows, but kept quiet.

"This'll be some great exercise. When you're in battle, every muscle gets a good work out!" Digital Lucas said. "Anyone who thinks I'm just a kid is going to get owned, big time! I'll leave you all in the dust!"

"...Kyle, did you write this dialogue?" Serena asked, face in her palms. "Because it's getting weird."

"Would you rather he just said 'I like sports' every time he did an attack?" Kyle asked.

"...Fuck no." Nathan & Blaine said simultaneously.

"It's a real shame I have to take on those beautiful ladies. Maybe I'll let them run for their lives whilst I roast the other losers..." Digital Juan said, twirling his shotgun. "Nah, screw that! You're all gonna burn!"

"Face it." Digital Adrian said, taking up his stance - rather like Nathan's. "You don't stand a chance against us. I've got a girl waiting for me to go back to! You won't stop me from returning home, you hear me?"

"This should be interesting..." Amara said. "Let's go, then! We'll have some fun!"

"Yeah!" Serena cheered. All ten warriors readied their weapons, and the five real ones hearts were pounding. These fabrications of people they knew had genuine power radiating from them, a testament to Kyle's genius and Matthew's wallet. This would not be easy. "Artemis! Aquadyne!"

A huge blast of water hit Juan, knocking him backwards. He began firing at her, and she only dodged a handful of the fiery bullets. Immediately after this, Sheila dashed at her and began swinging her tonfa sharply at breakneck speeds.

"Argh!" Serena cried. "That hurt, lady!" She pulled out her whip, and swung with all her might.

"Masukukaja!" Nathan shouted. The group, now more agile, began to escape the wrath of the virtual attackers. Amara narrowly dodged a thrust from Lucas, and slashed him across the chest.

"That's not very nice!" Colette said, pouting, tapping the ground. "I better look after myself here. **Freya**!"

Amara knew these five would have Personas, but she didn't expect them to be like their own. Freya was a slim pink-skinned female, wearing a white and cream corset, purple lace-up gloves with silver hoops at the top, purple and silver necklace and earrings, and white metal boots. Her hair was also pink, in a long ponytail, and her eyes were of a similar colour. She wore eye shadow, lipstick, and foundation, as well as a darker pink ribbon on her head. In her right hand was a large glowing purple bow, loaded with golden arrows.

Freya cast Rakukaja on Colette with a dainty twirl. The movement was eerily like Colette when she was dancing in the clubs with her co-workers. Amara wondered - how could Kyle possibly know how to code someone he barely knew? She never volunteered this information...

"Oi!" Sheila groaned, stomping the ground. "How about using that on _us_, Colette?"

"Oh! Sorry!" Colette said, blushing. She took her own bow, and fired at Blaine. He fired a more modern ammunition at her, and she yelped in pain. "Eew! This guy's creepy! And that jacket's so ugly, too!"

"...Somehow, I think I picked the right journalist to fall in love with." Blaine said, grumbling.

"Whatever! We've still got luck on our side. Come on! **Cai Shen**!" Adrian shouted.

The Persona that appeared was quite the oddity, even among Personas. It had a black mask covered its nose and mouth, and innocent looking purple eyes. The hair was navy and swept backwards, and tired up in a high ponytail. He wore a golden and purple crown, a black and purple fur-lined cape, purple gloves with pocket watches fixed onto them, and a purple vest and matching pants and boots. Cai Shen had a strange weapon - a black iron pole with designs akin to a street light, and hanging from it was a large bronze clock.

"Lady Luck!"

A strange pink haze covered Adrian, then his body began to glow. He held his staff tightly in his hands, and then dashed at Nathan, swinging with all his strength. Nathan retaliated, and soon it became an all-out duel. Amara could have sworn she had seen this in a movie somewhere.

"Hey, look out!" Serena cried. Amara saw Sheila coming right at her, and blocked the tonfa attacks - yet she got kicked to the ground, then bashed about repeatedly. "...Oh, crap!"

"No way!" Amara shouted. She got back to her feet, by kicking out to the ground - knocking Sheila down in the process. "Marakukaja!" Now, her team were more robust and agile. What could these people throw at them next?

"Hang on..." Kaman said, reaching for another beer. "Colette there's got some healing moves. Zao might wanna stop that."

"Stop 'em how?" Zao asked, scratching his head. Just then, Adrian broke past Nathan's guard, and hit Zao as well. "Owwie! OH! Yeah, I remember! Rashnu, Life Lock!"

Rashnu came to the fight - alas, the strange energies of Life Lock did not seem to blockade Colette at all. Kaman sighed, and leaned against the tree, taking in the taste of his beer.

"Ah well. At least you gave it a shot."

"Piss off!" Sheila shouted. Kaman gulped, and looked away.

"...They're so lifelike, it's weird." Amara said.

"Well duh! If we didn't look real, you'd never take us seriously! That's how good Kyle is at this stuff!" Lucas said.

"Gee, I wonder why you'd think that." Serena said, rolling her eyes.

"Aww, come on! I bet the real Lucas can't do this! **Tyrrhenus**!"

Another peculiar Persona emerged. This one was a tan skinned, red-eyed muscular warrior, wearing only a blue and brown loincloth, black armoured boots and gloves, a sword tied around his torso, a necklace and a strange mask-like object around his right eye. Its hair was blue, yet white near the front. Affixed to either glove were mask-like shields, with eye sockets, noses, and mouths, and a giant sharp blade protruding at the top. The bottom edges were sharp too.

Tyrrhenus used Power Charge on himself, and Lucas became emboldened by the rush of strength. With great dexterity, he forced his way to Blaine, and slashed him with his giant blade.

"Damn kid...how are you holding that thing?" Blaine asked. "You go to my gym?"

"Actually, his family have one in their home." Serena said, chuckling. "They're...affluent."

"That's stupid. I'd have my own mini-bar." Blaine said, grinning. "Eat this!" He shot at Lucas, yet each bullet seemed to be sucked into his body - with no sign of damage. "The hell...?"

"Oh, he absorbs physical damage. So better save your ammo." Dan said, angrily. "Come on! You can do better than that!"

"Yeah, but...do you really want to?" Kaman said, teasingly.

"Oh god, whatever. You guys really need to do something better than drink all the time. **Haokah**!" Juan bellowed.

Another dark-skinned male, Haokah boasted black wings with blue and white vein-like designs, and a giant white feather headdress. Across its face was a big cross-shape red scar. It wore a white feather sash, white and blue bracelets and anklets, gold armour with blue feathers, and it wielded a curved blue sword.

"Evil Smile!" Juan shouted. _Oh shit! No!_

Evil was the appropriate word. Everyone felt a shiver down their spine, as their mind became invaded with sinister smiles. Each of them was of a soul that craved destruction - theirs.

"...Argh!" Amara cried. She was shaking, and nearly dropped her weapon. "That was..."

"You're in for it now." Sheila said, nonchalantly. "**Helen**!"

This feminine and curvaceous Persona had long flowing black hair with bangs and a ponytail, light green skin with grey striped tattoos, and lime eyes. Around her ears were wing-like metal armour, and she also wore a blue metal cap. She wore mostly pointed armour, with black gauntlets and chain mail. In her right hand was a thin yet long sword, and in the other was a black blue whip.

"Power Charge!"

Sheila, like Lucas, would be capable of doing a lot more damage now. Confident, she began her tonfa and kick combo on Blaine, sending him into the air - for Juan and Colette to shoot him.

"That's one sexy Persona..." Kaman said, whistling. Sheila gave him a dark grimace, and made a throat-slitting motion. He gulped, and drank his beer in silence.

"Not this again, guys." Aimee said, shuddering. "Kyle and Dan's original plan for Helen was for her to only wear bikini armour. Luckily, I vetoed it promptly."

"It was tastefully done!" Kyle whined. "And it's not like any of you girls would wear that outfit, so...why not a Persona?"

"Guys, shut up! I'm being shot at here!" Blaine snarled. He stood up, and made Tlaloc appear. "You think you guys are that tough? You wouldn't last ten seconds in Kanaloa! Matarukaja!"

Once this boost had been incremented, the real team were even stronger, faster and tougher than ever. Now they could really fight back.

"Lunar Scope!" Serena shouted. Artemis flung her bow into the air, and moonlight shone upon it. The bow transformed into a stronger, shining weapon, with scopes built into it. Artemis caught the bow, took air, and launched many bright arrows upon her foes. It almost looked like a meteor shower.

"No way!" Sheila shouted. "How dare you!" She tried to chase Serena down, but ended up facing off with Nathan. He had to swing his weapon with great precision, and also try to move out of the way of her lightning-speed tonfa jabs. Finally, he managed to catch her off guard, and make her stagger.

"...Mór Gaoth!" Nathan beckoned. Sheila braced herself, ready for an assault, yet nothing hit her. Instead the massive wind took hold of Colette, and sent her painfully crashing onto the grass beneath them.

"Oh, come on!" Colette said. "You're getting me all dirty!"

"...But those are digital clothes. They can't get dirty. They're not real." Juan said.

"This is freaking me out now." Blaine said. "Why are they just chatting amongst themselves?"

"They're like us..." Zao said. "Whatever! Let's go!" He darted at Juan, and tried to get him, but he only received bullets to the stomach. "Oww!"

"Okay, here's something for everyone! Gold Charge!" Colette commanded. Freya did another dance, and now all the digital warriors were covered in a strange yellow energy shield, all with electric sparks coming off them.

"...Huh?" Amara asked. "What does that do? Why didn't we bring Seraphina here?"

"She and your other self are busy having a pizza." Kyle said. "Anyway, Gold Charge protects the entire party with Elec Wall, but more worrying for you guys, it'll make her electric moves even better. You wanna be careful..."

"Great advice there." Serena said, rolling her eyes. She suddenly saw Lucas leaping through the air, swinging his sword, and rolled to the side, striking him repeatedly with the whip.

"Tiger Twister!" Adrian called to Cai Shen. Black winds began to accelerate from the ground, forming a small but turbulent tornado. This tornado span around all over the park, colliding with everyone.

"Argh!" Serena cried. "That...was weird!" She was about to attack with her whip, when something hit her in the chest. "What the - Blaine?!"

"I...um...what?" Blaine said, blinking. "What's...wrong with me?"

"You idiot!" Nathan roared. He marched over to Blaine, shoving Colette out of the way (making her arrows miss) and punched him squarely in the gut. Blaine clutched his stomach, wincing in pain.

"What'd you do that for?!" Blaine said. "...Wait. Did I just shoot Serena?!"

"Confusion, doofus." Kaman said. "Better watch out. That's not the only dangerous move in their arsenal."

"Indeed. I had fun giving them strange attacks...be prepared for anything!" Kyle ordered.

"Agidyne!" Hathor's flames engulfed Sheila, making her shriek in absolute agony. Normally, this would have been rather upsetting to see. Yet it meant that fire was more effective on Sheila than anyone else. That would be her advantage in this fight.

"Awesome!" Zao cried. "Now for some real fun! Bloody Destiny!" Rashnu slowly clutched his sword, as it turned as red as fresh blood. Then, that blade was swung in one grand movement, with a trail of red while it moved. The force of the swing sent everyone except Lucas aside. Instead, he seemed to feel relaxed by the assault.

"Uh, did you forget what happened when Blaine tried to shoot him?" Kyle said, groaning. "Physical moves don't hurt him!"

"Get off my case, Kyle! I was going for everyone!" Zao shouted. Lucas chuckled, and gave his entire team a Matarukaja. With a Power Charge in the works, his next attack would be lethal. Hopefully Serena could cover the injuries...

"Everyone here's arguing, aren't they?" Juan said. "I thought you guys were all buddies?"

"So? Me and Dan fight all the time. You should have seen him sit down, grab a pen, and write down twenty reasons why he should get the last biscuit. I had to come up with twenty one so I could grab that thing..." Blaine said, amused.

"How nice." Sheila said, deadpan. "But we're not here to listen to you reminisce about your dim-witted friends, are we? This is not a contest, it's a fight to the death!"

"Oh yeah? Well it doesn't matter how dumb Dan is. He's my friend!" Blaine shouted. He shot at Sheila, and she retaliated by grabbing something from her pocket - a grenade. She rolled it on the ground, and it exploded in a bright burst.

"Ouch..." Zao whined, hopping around.

"Tornado Drum!" Juan shouted. Haokah flew high in the sky, and created a gigantic drum made from clouds. He put aside his sword, and began to tap the drum with his hands. Each vibration sent waves of air down on the surface, cutting through the group. Amara felt something fade away - was it the Rakukaja from before?

"Espadon Feroce!" Sheila demanded. Helen touched the ground, and slid over the grass, holding her blade out horizontally. She impaled Blaine, and the blade became watery and sharp.

"Goddamit!" Blaine shouted, swearing, as he keeled over. "How many times are people gonna aim there?"

"Want me to go lower, sir?" Sheila retorted. She pointed her tonfa at Blaine's crotch, with a sinister grin.

"No way, lady. Only Lucy is getting her hands on - uh, wait, I - forget I said that! Don't look at me like that, Nathan..." Blaine said, getting back on his feet.

"...Thank you for that image." Serena said, shuddering. She saw Lucas attempting to stab her, and rolled away. She managed, however, to resist the urge to whip him. "Come on, attack already!"

"Tlaloc! Stormy Ascent!" Blaine cried. Dark storm clouds generated in the sky, and began to grow even more foreboding than they already were. They burst with a massive bang, and ferocious lightning bolts fell everywhere, breaking trees apart and wrecking the drinking fountain. The digital team were looking rather worse for wear, except for Colette.

"Electricity...sucks..." Juan said, shaking, as he collapsed. Colette shrugged, and fired an arrow into Blaine's chest. He fired at Colette, but his bullets missed this time.

"Blaine, are you okay?" Serena asked, as he staggered closer to her.

"I could probably use a top-up." Blaine said. Serena complied with a Diarahan, and this was enough to have him fighting fit again. "Good work, girl! Now we better get rid of these fuckers."

Nathan struck Lucas with Garudyne, and followed up with some strong staff attacks. However, Colette was about to strike - and no slash of Amara's sword could stop it.

"Bolt Brigade!" Colette cried. Freya's bow became electrified, buzzing loud enough to be heard throughout the entire park. Then, Freya loaded it with ten arrows, each one shaped like a lightning bolt. Quickly after this, she fired straight ahead, and the arrows flew everywhere. One of them hit Serena, making her howl with rage. Two hit Nathan, three struck Zao, two hit Amara, and three hit Blaine (with little effect).

"Hmm..." Blaine said. "Y'know, I keep having to remember, back home this stuff would kill me. Like how you'd just burn to death if a huge fireball hit ya."

"It really does feel strange to have such power at hand." Nathan said. Just as he was musing about the benefits of his Persona ability, a strange effect happened. A green barrier momentarily appeared around him, then it broke. Adrian had just cast Wind Break. "...Drat."

"Relax, you'll be fine." Amara said. "Bet you can't stop this! Tefnut's Raze!"

Sheila could not bear the wrath of Hathor's fire. She collapsed screaming, as the flames grew hotter. _I know it's not really her, but...it feels like I'm killing one of my friends. Can I really tell myself it's just a hologram? Serena and Nathan must feel that way too. Blaine's...probably just fine._

"Amara. You can do this, you know." Zao said, gripping Amara's shoulder. "Has there every been a fight we couldn't win?"

"Well, there was the time Nihane nearly killed us all." Amara said, shuddering. "But then again, we did get to kick his ass not too long ago!"

"Exactly! So get in there and give them hell!" Zao cheered. "Oh, and I'll do the exact same. Watch out - Starfall!" A celestial shower pummelled all of the enemies, causing even further damage to the aggravated Sheila. She responded kindly - by smacking Zao silly, aiming for his jaw, then bashing him with her tonfa. An arrow flew over her head, and hit Amara.

"Alright, I got her!" Colette said, as she giggled.

"Damn..." Nathan moaned, as he tried to block Lucas' sword blows. Unfortunately, there was no way to make any attack from Nathan's staff deal one iota of pain. Just as Nathan was about to complain, Lucas had an evil smile on his face.

"Leviathan Lunge!"

Tyrrhenus catapulted into the air, and did several cartwheels. Then, he dived at Nathan, driving his shield-swords into him - simultaneously, a bizarre teal wave hit him.

"...Holy shit!" Serena cried. "That water's got a weird colour, don't you think?"

"That's...what you're worried about?" Nathan moaned. He hurriedly rolled to the side, dodging a nasty sword stab to the face. Juan shot at Serena, while she tried to whip him. He pulled off a Maragilao via Haokah, and Amara simply shrugged it off.

"Wow, you look so cool like that!" Zao said. "Wish I could resist something..."

"Dude, you're not weak to a single thing. You're the lucky guy here!" Blaine said. "Kids these days, don't know what they've got."

"You really messed up with that fire thing, Amara!" Sheila said. "Wanna know why? I know what'll really get you upset. Helen! Sepulchre Glace!"

There was a cold breeze, and Amara felt Goose bumps all over her arms. Then, she noticed the tip of Helen's whip was slowly turning white, covered in ice. Blocks of ice appeared around Amara, and with sharp cracks of the whip, they flew into her - exploding in an icy cold blast that resembled a coffin.

"Y...You!" Amara shivered. "I hate...the winter..."

"But it's autumn." Juan said. "I suppose it might as well be winter, with all that ice. Nothing colder than the feel of death." He aimed his shotgun - but suddenly, something hit his hand, and he howled in agony, dropping the weapon. Then, a blast of lightning hit him, toppling him over.

"Whoa, you okay?" Blaine asked, all cool. He lifted Amara up to her feet, rather casually.

"Yeah." Amara said. "Come on, no time to worry about me. We've...got to win."

"Just a second, everyone." Serena said. Swiftly, everyone was healed up with Mediarama. "There. Now we can fight back!"

"Gladly!" Nathan said. He attacked with Magarula, which was fairly effective against most of the enemies - except, of course, for Adrian & Juan. "...Darn."

"Mediarama!" Colette said happily. Freya gracefully healed her and the rest of her allies. Adrian shook her hand in appreciation, then turned his attention to Nathan.

"You may have skill with the air, but it doesn't compare with this! Goldenrod Gale!"

Cai Shen manoeuvred his weapon around in a circle, spinning it faster and faster. After gaining incredible momentum, a massive golden wind began to flow, and trapped Nathan before he could do anything. A peculiar golden dust fell from the wind, and surrounded Adrian's weapon. He slammed it hard into Nathan's body, knocking him into a tree.

"What kind of messed up moves are these?" Amara asked.

"Genius messed up moves, of course." Kyle said, drinking from a soda. "...Don't just stand there! Come on, fight on!"

"You are way too eager about this..."Amara said, frowning. "Whatever. It's good practice. Force Sabre!"

Hathor powerfully struck Colette, much to her chagrin. Zao, happy at this development, pulled off another of his 'Mega Artes of Death' (a name that had been ridiculed repeatedly in the base) - Helios. A gigantic fireball exploded, burning everything in its path. The pain was felt by everyone, yet now Zao was starting to feel a little odd.

"...Huh? Did I use up all my power already?" Zao asked.

"Your moves take up too much energy." Serena said. "Do you understand why? You put too much effort into gaining power fast. It's like starting a New Game Plus on Level 1 with all your old skills."

"You guys are more like Level Zero!" Lucas taunted. "Eat this! Rending Sabre!"

Tyrrhenus rolled forward to Serena, and slashed her with each of his sword-shields, which seemed sharp enough to cut through diamond. Then, he drew his sword, which had a smaller, yet spiked, blade, and slashed her with it, with orange-yellow shockwaves.

_That looked painful...Serena, be careful!_

"Not bad, my man." Juan said, giving Lucas a high five. "Now let's have something even better for the ladies. Jester Jet!"

Serena groaned, standing up, only to be faced with a smiling Haokah, who was somehow 'standing' upside down on his wings. He began 'dancing', and winds of all sorts of colours blew around the area, only to suddenly rash at Serena.

"No!" Nathan cried. Alas, it was too late - she fell straight onto the ground, before Blaine could help her. Angry, he shot Juan right in the face. Zao, looking rather anxious, did a cartwheel and hit Juan in the back, kicking him at the same time.

"See that? Even my normal moves are cool!" Zao boasted.

"No they're not, you stupid twit!" Sheila remarked. She pulled out two more grenades, and they rolled into Zao and Blaine, exploding with intense brightness.

"...Why grenades, Kyle?" Kaman asked.

"Because it's cool." Kyle. "What's she going to do next, though?"

"Oh! Maybe that really nasty move with both weapons!" Other Serena said.

"...Both?" Amara asked, bewildered.

"That's right! Nosferatu!"

Suddenly, Helen's whip and sword became blood red. She tossed the sword into the air, then using the whip, grabbed it, and the blade's length extended by four times. Both Sheila and Helen laughed maniacally as the blade was flung at every enemy, piercing them twice each.

"You're really evil tonight, Sheila." Amara said. "Do you get a kick out of beating your co-workers?"

"Not really. It's child's play, this." Sheila said. She gripped her tonfa tightly, and zoomed down the path. She landed one fierce hit on Amara, but before the second to connect, she was smashed to the ground by a hammer. Then came another one.

"...Why am I hitting so many women?" Blaine said. "I mean, I don't mind beating up Nina or Josephine, or that fucked-up witch thing, but Sheila's kinda cute..."

"I heard that!" Sheila said, angrily. "If I were real, I'd tell your girlfriend what a pig you are!"

"Trust me, madam, I'm sure she's already aware." Nathan said. Blaine looked at him, deadpan, and shook his head. "...Oh, come on! You always mock me!"

"Whatever...guys..." Serena said, wearily. Adrian had tried to attack her, but she got him with her whip. After gaining some distance - Lucas was rather persistent in chasing her - she managed to fully heal herself with Diarahan. "Phew..."

"Are you alright?" Zao asked. "Damn, I wish our weapons could hurt him..."

"I'm sorry guys...but you'll be okay!" Aimee said. "I know this will be a tough battle, but I know you're strong enough!"

"We've had plenty of combat experience since June, haven't we? This feels like some intensive coursework. And I intend to pass in the upper percentile! Liath Macha!" Nathan shouted.

Tremendous winds formed beneath Setanta, propelling him into the air. Upon his peak, he held his spear downward, and then incredibly quickly drove it through Sheila.

"...Why?!" Sheila cried, shaking her fists in rage. "You're all dead!"

"At least we're alive!" Amara taunted. "...Why am I mocking things that aren't even real?"

"Well, Amara, people can get very enthusiastic about fake things." Blaine said, smiling. "Serena introduced me to the concept of 'shipping' a while back..."

"H-Hey! I told you that in secret, jerk!" Serena said. He just laughed, and shot bullets at Colette. However, some of her arrows got him, and he winced.

"Golden Charge!" Colette cheered. Freya, as before, energised the enemy group with a powerful electric barrier. Blaine's Zio spells were out of commission, for now.

"Alright! Fortune's Dawn!" Adrian watched happily, as Cai Shen held up his clock-staff, and ghost-images of the clock face flew around the area, exploding in bright green bursts. Everyone got struck by one of them, and the fighting resumed.

Amara used Agidyne on Colette, and during this, Zao used Spirit Drain on her to replenish his energy. She pouted at him, and gave him an arrow in the head in return. Luckily, these were not lethal - although painful does not equal lethal.

"Spirit Mirror!" Juan shouted. As the name suggested, the attack of Haokah involved huge mirrors spinning out of the ground, in front of everyone. Then, they turned upside down, as did the image they reflected. Yet the mirrors rotated clockwise, but the reflections moved anti-clockwise.

"...Okay, what did that do?" Amara asked.

"I dunno. Thought I'd give it a shot." Juan said. "I hope it won't come back to haunt us..."

"You could have tried something better than that! Whatever. Mabufula!"

Sheila summoned Helen, and the team were blasted with ice. Strangely, Amara felt rather unaffected by it. Not once, did she want to yell for help, or shiver. Instead, she seemed to just shrug it off.

"...Huh?" Zao said, confused. "How come that didn't hurt you?"

"I dunno!" Amara said. "Something's weird. Everyone, be careful!"

"Right. Elec Wall!" Blaine used the spell to protect Serena, known for being frail in the face of lightning. She nodded in appreciation, and began chanting her own magic.

"Tranquil Sea!" Serena cried. Ferocious waves assaulted the enemies, courtesy of the charming Artemis. Yet strangely, Juan cried out in agony. He didn't do this when she used Aquadyne on him earlier, so this was all getting quite unusual.

"They haven't figured it out yet, have they?" Kaman said, amused. "Come on, it's not rocket science..."

"Well, when you consider the effort that went into making the device and the software, it's comparable." Kyle said, proud of himself. "Just keep going! See what happens!"

"That's a bit unsettling..." Nathan said. "Mór Gaoth!" Setanta unleashed his devastating aerial power on Lucas this time, which took the wind out of his sails. Colette, however, was cheerfully calling upon Freya.

"Thunder Cloak!"

Electricity began to form behind Freya's back, until it created a huge, sparking glowing cloak. She daintily took this cape off, and flung it high in the sky - and it grew massive and more electric. It came crashing down, enveloping everybody in fierce lightning.

"Holy shit!" Blaine screamed, doubling over. "...That's...never happened before! Ow ow ow ow ow OW!"

"Huh?!" Serena said, stunned. "Blaine, you're...but Tlaloc resists Zio spells! I'm the one that gets screwed over by them!"

"Yes, normally." Other Serena said. "Didn't something change not too long ago, though?"

"Spirit Mirror. Of course." Nathan said. "Everything's been reversed. We mustn't let our guard down. Our weaknesses and strengths are switched now..."

"It always helps to shake things up. Stops life from getting boring. Come on, just roll with it!" Adrian said. "Not sure you'll like this though. Behold! Tiger Twister!"

These black winds were just the same as before - yet Nathan's blood-curdling scream rang throughout Amara's ears. In frustration, she stabbed Adrian as hard as she could, then she kicked Sheila right in the gut.

"You guys are rude for holograms!" Amara pointed out. "Well, eat this! Tefnut's Raze!" She almost targeted Sheila, but with Spirit Mirror in effect, it wouldn't be very effective. Instead, it was Lucas she chose to immolate, and the flames burned just as brightly. Smoke was all over the park now - these fights were rather chaotic, especially now.

"At least this move always works! Heartful Cry!" Zao, eagerly summoning Rashnu, boasted, as he gathered heavy amounts of energy. The blast, powered by Rashnu and Zao's own heart, resounded and became a blast of sheer destruction. Entire trees were cut in half.

"...Environmentalists are going to have a field day." Nathan said, stunned.

"You're...tough, aren't ya?" Lucas said, wheezing. "We might not have any moves like that...but this one's bound to make you cry! Silver Suffering!"

Tyrrhenus did a forward roll, then as he reached Serena, everything began to slow down. She gasped as she saw the sharp edges of the shield-swords, which seemed to be made of silver. And indeed, they would cause her great suffering. The brawny Persona swiftly span around, and sliced through Serena. Pain echoed throughout her body, especially when Lucas' sword struck her down.

"Whoa, Lucas, you're getting a bit violent there. Sure, this is a massive brawl and all, but let's be nicer about it. Like this. Fiery Flourish!" Juan said, beckoning Haokah.

_Ha! Like that's going to work on...me...wait, the mirrors!_

Surging flames burst out from the feathers of Haokah's wings. As he flapped them, the fire span around, and it was just as dangerous as Tefnut's Raze. Amara couldn't believe it - her entire body was being burned alive, or so it felt. She used to love the heat, but now it was almost killing her.

_Damn...how long will those mirrors last?_

"Malaqua!" Sheila shouted. Amara barely had time to react before her team were subjugated to another cruel attack - one of water. Blaine was unaffected, but instead of relief, he watched in horror as Serena screeched at the waves.

"...Damn all of you!" Blaine shouted. He saw Colette, ready to fire. Any second now, she would let go, and impale Serena with a sharp arrow. Quickly, he stepped forward - but Nathan had blocked the arrow instead. "H-Hey! You alright?"

"I'll be okay. I've...had worse tonight." Nathan said. He ran at Colette, and ignoring Juan's bullets, attacked her brutally with his weapon. She may have resembled a woman, but this was just data. At least, that's what he had to tell himself to drop any code of chivalry.

"Let me help ya!" Blaine offered. "Torment!"

Tlaloc raised his hammer to his head, and with deep concentration, sent electricity rushing through it. Satisfied, he rushed forward, and forced Colette several feet backwards with a mighty push. She cried, and began ranting at Juan. She got up, and slapped him.

"Idiot! Why did we even need to use that move? It's messing us up too!" she moaned.

"Hey, don't get so upset. We're still going to win!" Juan said. "We're just cyber copies of real people, but we ARE Real People! Well, except for Adrian and Lucas. You two fancy a career in journalism?"

"No way. You barely even have a sports section." Lucas said, shaking his head.

"And I've got a good career in producing 'hit' music." Adrian said, wearily.

"Oh, that's right. When I was making these guys...I dunno, some of the data kind of wrote itself." Kyle said.

"What does that mean? Your keyboard started typing without you?" Amara asked.

"No, not exactly. It's just, data for personality and speech mostly got filled in automatically. That never happened until I started with them. I've never been to your world, so I've no idea what they're like, really." Kyle said. "This requires further research."

"Whatever! What we really require is more health. Mediarama!" Serena, once again, restored vitality to her comrades. She whipped Colette again, and whilst they were attacking, there was a sound like shattered glass. "Eh?"

"Wasn't me." Kaman said, holding up his empty beer bottle. "Perhaps the crazy voodoo magic mirror thing wore off."

"Oh, thank god!" All ten warriors said. There was utter silence, then an uproar of laughter broke out. Juan, embarrassed, held off on firing his gun.

"Let's get serious! Wind Break!" Nathan shouted. Adrian gasped - and after the effect took hold, they clashed with their rods, each swing getting louder and louder.

"This is getting scary..." Colette whimpered. "Ah!" She dodged Serena's whip, her head narrowly avoiding the metal chains. "That could have hurt, meanie!"

"...Is that the best insult you know?" Serena asked.

"I'm not like Sheila! I'm too nice! But I'm gonna win, so there! Soul Spark!"

Freya did another of her fancy twirls, and a white feminine silhouette was spun out of nothing but electricity. That silhouette landed on the ground, and was phased into Colette's body.

"Alright! Now I'm healthier than ever!" Colette said playfully. "Wait. Oh my gosh, Sheila! Are you okay?"

"Yes, Colette. It's easy to shake off being burned, electrocuted, blown away and shot at, so you just keep on going." Sheila grumbled. "Hiyah!" She smacked Blaine with her tonfa, but was quickly knocked backwards by Amara. Adrian used a Magarula, but thankfully Nathan wasn't harmed this time around.

"Your stupid mirror really tricked us!" Amara said, wagging her finger. "I'm going to teach you a lesson. Force Sabre!"

_Ha! He'll never see this coming!_

Juan braced himself, but to his surprise, Hathor flew straight past him. Rather, she collided with Colette, with a mighty swing of her sword.

"What?!" Juan shouted. "How -"

"Mass Destruction!" Zao roared. Rashnu's blade was rather unassuming. While not a toy or training blade, it was not particularly huge, or threatening. Yet with two titanic slashes, the blade had cut through the digital enemies, prompting some of them to swear in frustration.

"Ugh, I am so sick of this guy!" Lucas said. "Look at his blue hair! It's so weird!"

"...Why are _you _pointing that out?" Adrian asked.

"What about me?" Sheila asked. "What colour do you think mine is? Puce? Mauve? Burgundy? Vermillion?"

"Oh yeah, mine is blue too!" Lucas said. Serena 'face palmed', with a heavy groan.

"I can see why he sticks to athletic pursuits." Nathan said, suppressing his laughter. "Even Blaine wouldn't say something that stupid."

"Not sober, anyway. Gimme a few beers, and you'd be amazed the crap I'll say. Gimme even more, and I'll sing ya a few songs." Blaine said, confidently.

"...I never want to socialise with Neanderthals like you! Nor will I let you threaten my friends! Saviour!" Lucas shouted. Tyrrhenus emitted a strange white aura around Lucas, and a fainter one briefly flashed around the other four.

"Oh great. Some other weird move we don't know." Zao said, glumly. "What, is this gonna cause like a nuclear bomb to come out of nowhere? Cause that'd really suck."

"Of course not, Zao. That's not very magical, is it?" Kyle said. "Just you wait and see. I hate spoiling surprises, you know. Like when I was sleepy and promised Dan not to tell himself about his birthday party."

"Aww, that's kinda cute." Other Serena giggled.

"Damn straight. He really wanted to give this old guy a party to remember. You know, even if I knew it was coming, it was still a great day. And I was getting depressed over turning thirty-two." Dan said.

"Why? You've already passed the point of no return. You've got that thing you call facial hair on your chin, you can't hold your beer like you used to, you're single, no kids, no real job..." Sheila teased.

"...That hurts more than any Hamaon." Dan said, mockingly wiping his eyes.

"Tornado Drum!" Juan said. Again, everyone was buffeted by strong winds - strong enough to lift the team into the air. Zao flapped his wings, as if he could fly. _What is he doing?! Is he trying to cheer us up? Zao, concentrate!_

"Power Charge." Sheila said evilly. Helen, with a wicked look in her eyes, strengthened her master considerably. Amara shuddered - as she had seen with Espadon Feroce, her strength when maximised could be regarded as Herculean. Blaine, undeterred, shot Juan. The two were in a Mexican Stand Off, aiming their weapons at each other. Then, Blaine shrugged, and cast Ziodyne.

"Alright!" Serena cried. "...I better keep everyone safe. Mediarama!" For the third time in this battle, she healed herself and her team. With the amount of strong attacks that were sure to come, everyone would need all the health they could muster.

"Garudyne!" Nathan called upon Setanta, and Adrian's broken defences allowed him to be harmed by the strength of wind. However, something was unfolding...

"Everyone, stay strong!" Colette yelled at the top of her voice. "The beauty of thunder, the splendour of lightning! Both intertwine for the greatest victory of all time! Behold, my **Electrifying Triumph**!"

_What?! Kyle, you had to give these guys THOSE kind of moves?!_

Freya loaded all of her arrows into her bow, as a giant pillar of lightning fell upon her. Suddenly, the column expanded, forming a pyramid of intense electricity. Everyone was slowly being shocked by this prism. Then, bright flashes began, and each of the arrows shot out to the edges of the pyramid. The electrocution intensified even further, until finally the triangle of doom collapsed upon itself with a final bang.

"I...can't..." Serena, very frazzled, fell over. Her whip fell out of her hand, and she was out for the count. Now, things were rather dire. Their only healer had fallen, and there seemed to be an unwritten rule that Kyle and the others could not step in and help.

"...No." Amara said. "No! It can't end like this!"

"Giving up already?!" Adrian shouted. "That's pathetic! Perhaps this will motivate you. Goldenrod Gale!" Amara gasped - this time, the target of the golden storm was Zao. The sheer amount of pain from both Colette and Adrian was having a very adverse affect...

"Zao, please hang on!" Amara shouted. "I...I'll do my best! Agidyne!"

Surging flames, conjured by the radiant Hathor, incinerated Colette. Zao stared at her, and relaxed. No matter how many terrible attacks this team could throw at them, Amara and co could easily throw more. So now he would do his part, no matter how little spiritual power he had left.

"Astral Laser!" Zao beckoned. Rashnu soared into the sky, and drew an extravagant star emblem with his sword. Then, with both hands, the Persona banged on the symbol, causing a huge beam to be fired upon Colette.

"Argh! No...!"

Colette completely collapsed, dropping her bow. Freya vanished entirely with a puff of green smoke, and Colette's body disappeared. A light on Kyle's machine flashed green, and he nodded in approval.

"Finally, you killed one of those guys. Now they can't heal either." Kyle said.

"Still haven't beaten one yourself yet, Blaine..." Dan said, angrily. "Get with it! Kick someone's ass, I don't care!"

"You total dick! Colette was our medic, and our friend!" Lucas roared, viciously. "Guess you think that makes us even, does it? Well, there is no 'even' in battles like these! There's only winners and losers. You're about to become the latter! Leviathan Lunge!"

The attack was no less dangerous than before, yet this time the target was Blaine. Without Spirit Mirror, the wave of water was absolutely punishing. He tried to punch Lucas in the face, but his fist went straight through him, like air.

"Shit..."

"Jester Jet!" Juan shouted. Haokah began dancing, upside down, like last time. Except now, the winds were rather enervating...Amara felt some of her energy slip away.

"Sanction Severe!" Sheila, very sadistically, forced Helen to make Nathan her victim. Rather quickly, she whipped him twice, then cut him with her sword three times. Enraged, he got into a skirmish with her, her tonfa clashing with his staff.

"You really are annoying tools..." Blaine said, frustrated. "So now you're gonna get it! Punishment!"

Tlaloc marched at Juan, but it was Lucas that his hammer came crashing down on. Blaine looked on, stunned.

"Surprised, are you?" Lucas said. "See, what Saviour does is let me protect my friends from your attacks!"

"Then why didn't you protect Colette? You were making a big fuss over us killing her!" Zao said, confused.

"...It doesn't always work!" Lucas said, frowning. "Don't laugh, you loser!" He slashed Zao with his sword, and soon, everyone was using their weapons at full throttle, sparks flying everywhere with the bullets.

"Go everyone!" Aimee cheered. "You're on fire now!"

"Garudyne!" Nathan shouted. Lucas smirked, as the winds began to approach Sheila. Instantly, he and her switched places, and it was he who was struck. "That's almost noble for you digital people."

"Lucas is a brave soul." Adrian said. "I have complete faith in him, and he trusts me the exact same! Garudyne!" Adrian's wind targeted Blaine, yet it somehow missed the mark. "What - how?!"

"Having performance issues?" Blaine teased. "It's okay, it happens to a lot of people."

"You watched _The Avengers_, haven't you?" Nathan asked.

"Oh yeah, baby." Blaine said as he grinned. "Best summer movie ever. Serena totally had a geek overload when she found out I went to see it."

"You know, this would be an easier fight if you guys just shut up and fought! Agidyne!" Amara shouted. Sheila got burned rather badly by the flames, but this did not quell her fighting spirit, as Amara learned when a tonfa hit her in the face. Fortunately, Zao's Bloody Destiny quickly ceased the attack.

"How was that?" Zao asked. "Maybe I can beat this girl too!"

"Not a chance, pal."

Lucas, invigorated, made Tyrrhenus appear. "By my hand, you shall not claim the souls of the righteous! Instead, your fate is to drown in a sea of blood and tears! **Tyrrhenian Sea**!"

His Persona leaped into the air, and hovered, as a giant dark wave appeared out of nowhere. Tyrrhenus stood on top of it, and plunged his shield-swords into the water. There was a brilliant gleam from within the still-moving wave, and when Tyrrhenus pulled out his blades, they had changed into large, bright blue weapons. Satisfied with his new arms, he made the wave crash into Nathan. The water also hit everyone else as well, but Tyrrhenus was focused on one target. Tyrrhenus flew across him at insane speeds, slashing him with both weapons, coming from all directions. Finally, the assault was over.

"...I'm sorry...but this is...it." Nathan, unable to take any more, fell over. Zao gulped, and quickly had to dodge Sheila's tonfa. She was about to hurl a grenade, but he snatched it from her and chucked it at Juan's behind.

"What the hell?!" Juan screamed. "Sheila, why'd you do that?"

"It...it was him! He stole my grenade!" Sheila bemoaned.

"Okay, then I'll have to punish you. It's not right to take things from gorgeous women." Juan said. Before Sheila could tell him to piss off, Haokah struck Zao with Agidyne. By this point, he was getting rather weary, and backed away to catch his breath.

"Ugh..." Sheila said. "At least two of them are down. Now for number three! Espadon Feroce!" Helen was too fast for Blaine to evade, yet he managed to fill Sheila's digital body with lead. The watery thrust was almost too much for Blaine to bear - but seeing the unconscious Nathan, next to the fallen Serena, seemed to inspire something in him.

"Blaine! Are you alright?!" Amara shouted.

"Dude! Don't die too! We can't let this be four against two!" Zao said desperately.

"Come on, you think I'd leave everything to you lovebirds?" Blaine said, smiling. "I've got something up my sleeves, way cooler than Dan's tattoo."

"...Every fucking time." Dan said, opening another beer.

"Sorry man. You know I love ya really." Blaine said. "I'll win that bet for ya! **Black Lightning**!"

Juan, Sheila, Lucas and Adrian gasped in fright, as the area suddenly got very dark. There was no time to prepare themselves for their own electric suffering. Lightning bolts as black as sin rained down on them, and the thunder was so loud it drowned out their cries of suffering. Finally, one last bolt shocked the team. While they were shaken up, Juan had fared the worst.

"My...body...it's...too much." Juan muttered. He fell down, dropping his trusty shotgun, which disappeared into the ether. Haokah dispersed too, and Juan's body disappeared. A light on Kyle's computer confirmed the second demise for the digital team.

"...Wow." Amara said.

"Crap." Kaman said.

"Hell yeah!" Dan said, whooping. He pumped the air with his fist, arm around a reluctant Kaman.

"Don't get too excited! There's still three on both sides!" Aimee said. "We're nearly done, I can feel it! How are you guys holding up?"

"I'm...not sure." Amara said. She was starting to get faint, without Serena to help her. The other team must be feeling the same way. If she could, she had to make this fight end, so everyone could get some rest. Now was the time to invoke all of her power. "I'm going to give it my all! Zao, Blaine, watch! **Desert Jewel**!"

Hathor was a fiery goddess of beauty and sunlight, and it showed in her greatest power. She manipulated her energy into forming a tremendous deep red gemstone, one greater than Ruby Ignition. Its red light illuminated the park, bathing it in a scarlet glow. It was aflame, heating up the place.

Then the jewel's halves began to rotate in opposite directions, and little by little, it opened up. Huge fireballs of the same hue raced out of the jewel, dancing all over the park, and finally the jewel fully separated, releasing the final fireball.

"How...could this happen?!" Sheila wailed, her body falling limp to the ground. Helen disappeared, and slowly Sheila's form was gone.

"I didn't know...I could lose..." Lucas sighed, defeated. He laid down on the ground, and both he and Tyrrhenus began to vanish. Kyle stared at his device in amazement. Only one digital adversary remained on the field. Adrian, a tenacious man, would stop at nothing to prevail.

"How could you?! Colette, Sheila, Lucas & Juan had my complete trust, and I couldn't save either of them! You're all dead, do you hear that?" Adrian shouted.

"Not likely." Amara said, arms folded. She tried to hit him with her sword, but exhaustion made her aim sloppy, and he rolled away and hit her. "Ah!"

"May all voices of lust, gluttony and greed be drowned out by the sacred voice of the wind! **Zephyr Sonata**!"

Amara could have sworn she heard a violin playing, as Cai Shen planted his weapon into the ground. With deep concentration, a green whirlwind appeared around it, growing taller and taller. Within that vortex were many different coloured musical notes. This reminded her of something - Nathan's Zephyr Aria attack. Yet this would be far grander in scale.

"Amara, no!" Zao shouted. It was too late, however. The vortex burst out, spinning around. Both wind and musical notes collided with all three enemies, with rather brutal results. Zao was exhausted, and Blaine was noticeably peaky. Yet Amara had taken the most punishment.

"...Win this...okay?" Amara said. Her eyes shut, and she fell over, dropping her sword.

"You asshole!" Zao shouted, his voice hoarse. "I'm gonna get you for this! Spirit Drain - huh?!"

He attempted to try all of his moves. Yet nothing seemed to register. Rashnu did not emerge. In a dark twist of fate, Zao had been silenced.

"Oh, whatever! I've still got this! Hiyah!" Zao rushed forward, and broke out into a duel with Adrian. Their weapons clashed, as both men grew desperate to gain the upper hand. Blaine tried aiming his gun, but the action was too fast for him to land any hits.

"...Ziodyne."

Blaine was at his limit. Black Lightning had utterly drained him, and there was very little spirit energy for him to use in the first place. But if he didn't so something, Zao would end up being beaten to a bloody pulp. Tlaloc appeared, and sent lightning bolts at Adrian.

"Argh!" He moaned. Blaine, relieved, let his weary body fall to the ground. Zao kept up his attacks, and finally, with a sharp thrust, ended the digital Adrian's existence.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to go...forgive me, everyone..." Adrian said. He and Cai Shen were goners, disappearing into the mist. The fifth green LED lit up on the computer, and Kyle picked it up, pleased with himself.

"That's a wrap." He said. "This ought to be fun to analyse later."

"D-Damn..." Blaine wheezed, looking up from the ground. The park had taken quite some damage from the battle, with tree branches scattered everywhere, black patches all over the grass, and smouldering remains of benches and picnic tables.

"We...did it." Zao said. Unable to stand, he fell back onto the grass next to Blaine, sighing with relief. "That was...so cool!"

"Yeah..." Blaine said, ruffling Zao's hair. "It was one hell of a bumpy ride, but we pulled through. Sometimes, it's fun just to fight for the fun of it. Even if you lose."

"I know...it felt good, having a battle where no one was trying to kill anyone." Zao said. "...Seriously. Every fight we've had has been like that. The Ater Vox never go easy on us. Keisha tried to kill Matthew. Roger was super violent when he was a bad guy. The Holy Cross tried to capture you guys before they became good. The Other me, Shadows, Ornatu Legion...there's not been a single fight that hasn't been to the death."

"...You're not cut out for Kanaloa, kid." Blaine said. "You make one wrong move, you're dead...simple as that. I got lucky - no one in town has the balls to mess with me. But some of my old pals get ambushed every now and then. You all think it sounds like a shithole, don't ya? Well, I'm not denying that. It's why I always meet Lucy at her place. But I love it anyway."

"We've got to save this place." Zao said. "There's thousands of people in this city, waiting for help. And only us guys can save them. After tonight...I know I can do it."

"Of course you can, buddy. You can do whatever you set your mind to. Wish I'd been like you back when I was your age...but maybe it's not too late." Blaine said. Zao chuckled, and the two of them gave each other a mighty fist bump - slightly hurting Zao's hand.

"Congratulations, you two!" Aimee said, standing over their heads

"That was a great fight. I'm disappointed Serena didn't last longer...but that was still a great performance." Kyle said. "Serena, could you help everyone else?"

Other Serena went around, and began to heal and revive everyone. Amara, Nathan and Serena slowly got up from the grass, and gazed around. To their relief, their foes had been vanquished.

"Thank goodness!" Serena said. "How did you win without a healer?"

"Simple. We took down theirs." Zao said, cheerfully. "Amara, are you alright? Adrian really hurt you!"

"I'm okay, honestly. Going to work tomorrow's going to be awkward, though..." Amara said. "The whole time me and Colette are getting a coffee, I'm going to be thinking about her electrocuting me."

"At least everyone's alright now." Nathan said. "It wasn't a fight to the death, but it's good to know we're skilled at combat. Kyle, who else do you have lined up on that device?"

"Hmm..." Kyle said, considering the possibilities. "So far, I've just made virtual versions of the Ater Vox and those guys. I could always put ourselves on there, but that's boring."

"Next time, I want to fight them!" Other Serena said. "Please? Me, you, and whoever else we want can take them on!"

Kaman looked around, sheepishly, and tried to walk away from the group. However, he wasn't quite fast enough, and soon was forcibly turned around to look into Dan's grinning face.

"You saw that, didn't ya? Blaine beat Juan AND Adrian! You know what that means!" Dan said, eagerly. "So come on! What's the recipe for that cocktail?"

"...Let's go back and talk." Kaman said. "Just remember, knowing how to do it isn't the same as being able to do it. It takes a pro, a master."

"I figured that, dude. That's why I'm gonna get Blaine to do it." Dan said, slyly. "We'll be at the base. You might wanna get out of here, too. Shadows are bound to show up sooner or later."

"Oh god, you're right!" Serena said. "Let's all go to the base, then. I'm hungry!"

"Alright!" Blaine said. "Aimee's banoffe pie is going right into my belly! Woohoo!"

All of them began to leave for the NDD, leaving the park in quite a mess. Out of nowhere, a flash of red energy occurred, and all six of the Ater Vox - plus Keisha - were there.

"...Now that was quite a show." Nihane said, beginning a slow clap. The others looked around, unsure whether this was of sarcasm or genuine praise. Eventually, Josephine joined in, and soon, everyone was applauding.

"So what exactly does this mean for us?" Pierre asked. "If they can create their own Persona users, won't that complicate matters?"

"I doubt it. Neither of those artificial fighters were extraordinary, were they? Their level of power was more or less on par with them. And while that is nothing to sniff it...it's nothing we can't handle." Nihane said. "Not only that, we'd simply have to destroy the host device Kyle created.

"Enemy or not, the rebel group is something incredible." Carlos said. "I can think of no worthier opponents to our cause."

"Perhaps not." Josephine said, frowning. "You must not forget, however, that they _are _opponents."

"Of course not." Nina said. "We're the ones in control of this nation, not them. And soon, the entire world. Their genius and technology won't stop that."

"That gave me an idea for a new project." Archibald said. "...But that can wait. After all, we have the Interitus Legion to tinker with."

Nihane nodded, and one by one, the Ater Vox left. Keisha, however, was left behind. She walked over to the ground, where Zao and Blaine had been resting, and sighed. They may have been in a fierce battle, but it looked fun. Would she ever feel that sensation again? To just laugh and fool around with a friend? Every moment she had spent in that team, she had faked that sort of personality. Yet now, she wished it could have been real.

"...No turning back now." Keisha told herself. "I'll...get to have lots of fun in my new world."

She left the park, and silence reigned there once more.


	9. Behind The Scenes I

**Behind The Scenes: Persona Duality**

**Because Why Not?**

AN: Since we're approaching the finale at long last, I'd like to do a little thing discussing how the story came about, and how much things changed over the course of writing. With this many characters involved, there were a lot of plot ideas that ultimately changed or evolved into something else. So here we go!

Origins – Early Concept

Prior to Persona Duality, In 2010-11 I had done an obvious trollfic for Harry Potter called Hogwarts of Heaven. Unlike My Immortal, it did not involve horrible spelling and grammar, and there weren't any goths or preps. However, it did involve complete and utter nonsense, revolving around a Gary Stu called Chestere Le Valiente. I did about ten chapters or so of this, maybe more, but after a while it got a bit boring. And I realised that I could probably write something serious, maybe in the HP world, or in my favourite game series at the time, Persona. (Hogwarts of Heaven was deleted, but I reposted the first chapter. You can see for yourself just how crazy my imagination was...)

Bear in mind at this point, I was familiar with only the Persona games (this includes Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment, not so much Persona 1 though), and it would not be until the next year that I broadened my horizons and played Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (Lucifer's Call in Europe. Are we too stupid to know what a Nocturne is, or something?). At this point, I've played both Devil Survivors, Soul Hackers, and SMT IV. All of which have influenced my writing, I think.

I had considered creating my own Persona-related story for some time, having played through both Persona 3 and 4 many times (and Innocent Sin in 2011) and having loved both of them. So I figured, maybe I could do my own take on a Persona story. The idea of two alternate worlds, one infested with Shadows, one still 'normal', came very early. In fact, one of the first things I imagined was a group of Persona users, trying to fight against a government that was responsible for the mess.

That being said, it took a long time to actually get the ball rolling, considering I was at Uni at the time. I toyed with some character and Persona designs, but no firm ideas really stuck. It was all sort of 'what-if' at that point, as I also considered doing an RP thread for an old forum I used to be in. However, I definitely knew I wanted my lead character to be a female, but not a Wild Card. Mostly because I didn't want to create a special Persona for her only for it to be constantly switched out for stuff like Saki Mitama or Forneus. I had some kind of blonde haired woman at first for that role, and she was already an artist type. That character design I discarded.

It wasn't until I started making the first four villains of the story that things really started to make shape. I hit upon the idea of making a quartet of enemy Persona users that were following their leaders, using the four Archangels that typically are the Law faction in mainline Shin Megami Tensei. (This was when I was doing more research into SMT 1, 2, and the entire series in general, thus gaining an impression of the Law – Neutral – Chaos theme.)

I think the first one of the angel Persona users made was the one that would become Bianca, designed for Gabriel. The other three didn't have a specific Angel in mind, although I think Alastair was destined for Michael. It would be a while before I actually named these characters, bear in mind. I toyed with naming the Japanese one 'Urieru', as he would have Uriel. Then I thought 'no, that's stupid' and went for Kazuya. One of the names given to the SMT 1 hero is Kazuya, and his surname Miyazaki comes from a certain legend in the anime world.

Anyway, with four starting villains and their Personas done – the original idea was for their Personas to be the SMT designs at the time – the next step was to create the main characters. Amara came fairly easily, as I wanted her to be from a faraway place, and thus came her ankh necklace. I gave her the Sun Arcana, so she'd be an optimistic, never say never kind of girl. Nathan wasn't so hard to come with either, as I just had to imagine a strong-willed man in a position of affluence who wouldn't back down from a challenge, and treat everyone honourably.

Serena's design wasn't so hard, but the original personality she had was more or less like Amara's. So I switched her Arcana from Star to Moon, so she'd be more into fantasy and fiction to escape from her unhappy life at home (thus, video games and anime.) The fourth character, Blaine took some doing. I think my initial plan was a sort of youngish black-haired guy, maybe Asian (In fact, he might have looked like Neiji Hyuga from Naruto), but then I thought I should go for an older character to balance it out. So came a guy in sunglasses and a red jacket, with scruffy hair and a mouth like a sailor. He would have been a motorcycle maniac, and quite the barfly. And he'd have a gun. (The other three's weapons stuck early on, too. Don't recall any major issues in that department.)

With those characters in mind, the next part that needed work was the setting. I toyed with using a real life place in America or Europe, or at least a fictional city based on them. I didn't really want to set a Persona story in Japan, as A: the main series does that plenty and B: I didn't feel that I have enough knowledge or experience with Japanese culture. Finally, however, I figured I'd just make my own place. A grand city on a huge island, somewhere far from anywhere else, where many cultures came together.

The six districts didn't come right away, but as far as I can recall neither of their names changed. Saragel, Farawell, and Legarte are just made up words (although if they actually do mean something, then...co-incidence) that sounded kind of Italian/French/Spanish to me, Nova Albion was sort of evoking a 'New England' type of name, Takanawa was taken from Trisha from Family Guy (although there IS a Takanawa in Japan. It's a small neighbourhood in Tokyo), and Kanaloa is the name of a Hawaiian entity of the sea. It was a Persona in Innocent Sin I liked using, too.

The next four characters were invisioned as sort of 'Social Links' to the four heroes – essentially, their best friends/lovers. So thus came Priscilla, Nathan's attractive blonde girlfriend (and I really wish I had made them engaged at the start, or even married. It'd have made more sense, considering how long they were together before the story...), a disabled boy that Serena was friends with called Kyle McDonnell, a guy with a dragon tattoo that Blaine hung out with called Dan, and the mysterious teal haired psychic dressed in a turban that called herself Stella Cleon. That surname was derived from Cleopatra. At this point, nothing about them had really been defined, nor were they planned as Persona users. Stella, however, would be the strange psychic that told Amara about how she would soon wind up in another world...

Eventually I decided I had enough to go on, so began the story in earnest with the chapter 'A Strange Fortune'. Here, Amara would narrate to the readers about how wonderful the city is, and how she was to go to her first job after graduation today. She would be an artist for a teen magazine (I can't remember if that had a 'beta' name. It might have always been Real People.), and her boss Karen would have introduced her to Stella. While this isn't massively different from the current version, no other co-workers were named yet, and it was in first-person.

And that's about it, at least for the early concepts, but for the first draft I put up on FF Net:

First Draft – the Silver Suffering Days

This initial draft was almost entirely from Amara's viewpoint, despite the fact that she wasn't really at the forefront as much as say Yu or Makoto. Occasionally during this 'dummy run', the POV changed to Nathan, Serena or Blaine. Also, I really sucked at spacing back then, and my dialogue was rather sloppy. I still wonder if I'm good at writing realistic speech, but things have been going nicely so far. Sometimes it just writes itself, sometimes it's hard.

Most notably was Blaine's characterisation. He was far ruder than he is now, and generally spent most of his dialogue insulting other characters. If I recall, he ended up saying some nasty things about Priscilla to Nathan's face, which the Blaine we have now would never even think about doing. Sadly I've lost the original chapters I wrote, but first-draft Blaine really sucked as a character. Heck, one reviewer questioned how he could get a Persona.

Also at this point, most of the Ater Vox hadn't made any appearances. They eventually were thought up during this period, alas none of them were defined beyond Archibald being the genius scientist, Nina being Serena's supposedly dead sister, and Nihane being their leader. Josephine, Carlos and Pierre were just kind of there to fill the ranks. I'll discuss the Personas later, but at that point they weren't even going to have unique designs, just Kaneko-designed ones.

In terms of other characters, some names were different. For example, Roger Martinez, Kyle McDonnell, etc. The Ornatu Legion at that time was the Persona Brigade, and with their fake Personas they were completely emotionless and mute. This idea was eventually brought back with the Other Zao, and later the Interitus Legion. When a Persona Brigade member was defeated, they lost their Persona and went back to normal, losing all memory of ever having a Persona forced into their mind.

Also, Shirley Evens didn't exist at all. Lucy was a late addition to the cast, as a girl from Clairdol that would have nursed the injured Other Blaine back to health and defended him against any who doubted him. She was originally a sweeter character, and more of a dormat, but when I realised I didn't have a Devil at that point, she became more like current Lucy.

Matthew and Tara's story of being those 'left behind' in Clairdol had been defined somewhat, but I didn't get around to that story arc. I did have a plan to feature her grandparents a lot more, however I never got round to it. Maybe I could edit in more Clairdol scenes in earlier chapters to show them off, and give Tara more development too.

Kaman the barman was originally a younger and totally unimportant character, without even a hint of character development on the horizon. In fact, his name was originally 'Kadmon' as in Adam Kadmon, perhaps for some kind of symbolism ala Neon Genesis Evangelion, but it got 'corrected' by my spell check to Kaman, which turned out to be somewhere in India. So I figured I may as well make him Indian for some diversity.

Keisha did not exist yet, either. I can't remember how much of Nihane's backstory was set in stone at that point, and Nihane Kronos might well have been his real name. The Eternal Road and Divine Sparks did exist, however, and the Farawell one played out more or less like the true version. I think I had written that Eugene Dwight story about where the Divine Sparks would took place, but the finer details weren't there.

The first draft got up to near the end of the Roger & Karen arc, which didn't involve Archibald or Josephine to my knowledge. Roger had created some kind of virtual reality game that was based on Shin Megami Tensei, except the player had complete freedom over what they did and thus there was no 'goal' other than to do whatever they could. Kind of an unsubtle Chaos thing. Karen, on the other hand, was running a strange kind of cult involving Persona Brigade members in a dojo in Takanawa (and ends up being found there by Josephine in the current story). In that scenario, Amara wasn't there – can't even remember why, I think I just thought it'd be more realistic if one night she was like "fuck this, I'm staying in" - and the other rebels were hidden in a closet there listening in to the 'sermon'. Maybe I should have kept some of that, but I wanted to portray Karen as a weaker woman who needed someone or something to cling to, and thus her being a leader – at least in the Other World – didn't fit in with that.

That about sums the first draft up. I had stopped writing chapters for quite some time, but around May 2012 I decided to just start all over again with the new ideas for characters I had, rather than try and salvage the old story. So on May 31st, I posted a new and improved first chapter, introducing Amara to her colleagues...

Second Draft – The Changes

First person was dropped early on at this stage, as I realised the story for me worked a lot better in third person. It also worked better for scenes in which Amara wasn't present, and it meant I wouldn't have to change the writing style to suit whoever had POV at the time. For the first while, I followed the original draft's plot – the initial five chapters where we meet Amara, Nathan and Serena, followed by the first proper arc when we meet our Holy Cross enemies, Blaine, Aimee and the rebels, and discover just what the other world actually is.

While Zao's role was established prior to this stage (he joins sort of mid-way into Arc 3), his Persona was Anubis, mostly to tie him with Amara. I'll go into what happens with him later, but I quickly decided I didn't particularly like giving him Anubis. Thus came an obscure Zoroastrian divinity called Rashnu, who plays a similar role. That stuck, and it meant I could make a more original design.

The second arc didn't change massively. With Other Blaine's inner turmoil, it made sense for him to remain his bitter self, while the Normal one could be a cocky but endearing biker guy. This time around, however, the Ater Vox debuted in earnest Chapter 26, the first of many Aeternus Meetings. Which was kind of easy scene writing – just have our evil council discuss ominous things. The third arc diverged quite a bit, however, as I changed the way Roger and Karen met each other again, and made them join Aeternus from the start. Thus, Karen hiding in an abandoned dojo, frightened, and Roger becoming rather violent and brash to sustain himself. The virtual reality thing didn't really have a deeper purpose in the plot, so it quickly went.

The Persona Brigade changed, as previously mentioned, yet their designs eventually became established minor characters. For example, a blonde girl with pigtails became Colette. Juan, originally Johan, was a darker skinned guy with black hair. Sheila got the blue haired and orange-eyed girl look. I created them as a sort of military force for Aeternus to throw around, and so I could showcase the SMT demon/Persona designs somewhere. I tried to use demons that hadn't been included in recent Persona games, such as Moh Shuvuu, Xi Wangmu, Mahamayuri, etc.

As the story progressed beyond where the original stopped, I managed to settle on the details for Matthew and Tara's introductions to the story. Tara had previously existed as a minor character that was pals with Nathan and Priscilla, same with Adrian, so I just thought "hang on, I like her design...I'm gonna use her for the Temperance character". Likewise, Matthew became Judgment.

Shirley was made for the Death Arcana, as there was no character for it yet. So I made a blue haired singer character, that would be friends with Lucy, but it took me ages to settle on her name and what she was like as a person. Then I settled upon her becoming a pianist in the other world, that Dan liked listening to.

So to summarise, I didn't like the way the old draft was progessing, so I retooled the story a bit and brought it back, to much better response. I can't think of any really bad review yet, which is nice. Of course, reviews have been sparse, which I've come to expect as my story isn't based around any canon Persona character, barring Philemon and even then he's only mentioned now and again. Heck it took until Chapter 90 for 'him' to make a physical appearance!

I'll go more in-depth into the cast of the story in a later edition of this, after I've published the first of the five final Ater Vox battles. I'll talk about the city itself, the cast of characters, the Ornatu Legion, and once we get there, the ending of the story.


	10. Thunder and Lightning

**AN: **Don't worry folks, I haven't forgotten about Chapter 98. It'll just take some more time to get everything planned out. But I took the time to write this, the first flashback chapter. There were others I tried to do, but ultimately never finished. But this one I was pretty excited about. This time, we're going way back to the early 90's. Before Serena and Kyle were even born, when Amara was still in Cairo, and Nathan would be about ten. And obviously this is before the Normal/Other World Split.

The first news thing is an event that actually happened in 1993, during The Troubles. The second? Well, that's for you to figure out. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Bonus Chapter 10: Thunder and Lightning<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>|October 30th 1993|Kanaloa – Ford Fiesta|4:00 pm|<strong>

It was the early 90s. Kanaloa, while much better than it had been twenty years ago, still was a terrible place to live. For the boy in the back seat of a rusty third generation Ford Fiesta, however, it had been a great place to call home. Blaine Spencer and his family had been happy, in their small house, even if they hardly ever had money to spend. But for two long years, Blaine had been through hell.

It still haunted his nightmares. The police coming to the front door, telling him and his mother the dark truth. His father had shot himself in prison, out of shame. Blaine would never see him again. Ever since that day, he had been miserable. No one at school was there to say how sorry they were. They just thought it was hilarious, that this supposedly great dad had been caught trying to rob a bank. Suicide did not illicit sympathy, not for these children.

And his mother couldn't cope, either. She hardly ever went shopping, usually making Blaine do it. The house quickly became a mess, and the once pretty mother became dishellved, sitting in front of the television in disinterest. This poor woman was now a hollow of her former self. When word got to Blaine's school about how filthy his home had become, the Social Services had to intervene.

As luck would have it, a family in Kanaloa were willing to foster him. They had children of their own, both boys, so Blaine might get along with them. Or at least, that's what the social workers kept saying. Pauline, however, needed intense therapy until she was declared fit to look after her son. This meant that for the foreseeable future, Blaine was stuck with total strangers.

"I'm not going! I don't wanna go!" The boy, aged twelve, roared. "Mommy will get better! She's not that bad, honest! She's just a little depressed, it'll pass! I don't have to go here!"

"Please, Blaine, at the present time this is the best option for your wellbeing." The social worker, Casey, said. "We're not saying your mother is 'crazy' or anything. She needs some support, and while she's recovering, you need another place to stay. The Kingsleys will treat you well, I'm certain of that. I've been to their house on several occasions, and their home is nothing like a dump. Please be polite to them, alright?"

"Fuck you!" The boy shouted. Casey sighed, and kept quiet. Perhaps she wanted to tell him off, but wanted to avoid further tantrums. Blaine crossed his arms, looking away from her.

_Who does she think she is? Acting so cool, like's she's got everything under control! It's her fault I have to leave home! Ugly old witch...she reeks of cigarettes, too!_

Blaine looked out the window, as they drove through Gregory Street. There were some young adults in a stand-off, probably about to get into a fight about something inconsequential. If Blaine's dad Timothy had been around, he would have put a stop to them in second. But Blaine was still too weak to do anything, he told himself. Just a stupid kid who had to do what the grown-ups wanted him to do.

_Dad, if you hadn't died, I wouldn't have to be in this car...I wouldn't have to meet this stupid Kingsley family! If only Mom would get better...until then, I'm stuck having to share a room with some other kid!_

**|Marchmont Terrace|4:10 pm|**

Finally, the card parked outside Marchmont Terrace, one of the newer housing estates in Kanaloa. These red and beige brick buildings were largely considered eyesores, yet for Kanaloa it meant they fit in nicely. Blaine shuddered, having heard stories about the people who lived there. His dad had kept him safe from the harsher side of Kanaloa, but now he was exposed to the terrifying world in front of him. This place might have sober people living here, but it didn't mean they weren't dangerous.

"Here we are. Number 15." Casey said, opening the back door. Annoyed, he stomped out, and grabbed his belongings from the boot. Without even looking at her, always on the floor, he slowly went with her to the front door. "Try and make an effort. If you have to leave, it might be months until we find someone else."

The door opened, revealing a tall, skinny lady with black curly hair. She smiled, waving at Blaine, who gave her a distant, sad stare. Casey nudged him, and he waved back, with a forced smile.

"Ah, so you're Blaine. My name is Mrs Kingsley. Nice to meet you." This was Rachael, a lady who seemed to be wearing strong make up. She didn't suit it nearly as well as his mother, Blaine thought.

"...Hey." Blaine said, flatly.

"He's a handful. I hope you and your husband know what you're doing." Casey said. "Please, do get in touch if the situation becomes too much."

"Oh...that shouldn't happen. Until his mother's health improves, we'd be happy to take Blaine in for a little while." Rachael said. "Now, where are the rest of your belongings?"

"We...had to sell them..." Blaine mumbled, staring at the box in his hands.

"You poor boy." Rachael said. "Well, you'd better come in. Thank you, Miss."

Casey walked back to her car, waving, and drove off. Blaine marched into the house, and stared at it in jealously. It was so clean, so neat...the sort of house he had lived in two years ago. His father had always made sure to keep the house as polished as possible, often encouraging Blaine to help in the spring cleaning. Would he have to help this lady with that?

"Right. There are three bedrooms upstairs. You'll be in the one on the right." Rachel said. "Now – Dan, turn that TV off! He's here!"

"I'm coming already, don't shout!" A bored voice said. Coming out from the living room was an older boy, with short black hair and green eyes. Even at fourteen, he was rather bulky, wearing a black rock band shirt and jeans. "This him?" He glanced at this boy, and shrugged.

"...Yeah." Blaine said, looking away. This older guy looked like he had a temper. Better not get on his bad side, Blaine told himself.

"This is my eldest, Daniel." Rachael said.

"It's Dan, Mom..." The youth scowled, completely disinterested. "So you got a name?"

"Dan honey, we told you already. His name is -"

"Hey, he ought to introduce himself. I'm letting him sleep in my room for a while, it's the least he can do." Dan said.

"Blaine Spencer." The two boys stared at each other, both nonplussed. Just then, someone else walked in from the living room. A tiny little boy, with hair and eyes similar to the older one, but only a toddler. He wore a tiny white t-shirt, complete with equally small dungarees.

"Oh, there he is!" Rachael said, beaming, as she lifted the toddler into her arms. "Blaine, this darling is Matthew! Say hello, Matthew!"

"Hello..." Matthew said, staring curiously at the new arrival. "I'm hungry!"

"Alright, sweetie, we'll be having dinner soon! Dan, could you please show Blaine his room?" Rachael said. "Please don't be difficult about this, it's only temporary..."

"Yeah, whatever. I don't got a choice anyway." Dan said, already heading upstairs. "What are you waiting for, kid? Hurry up!"

Blaine, sighing, walked up to the landing, which was decorated with a red carpet and white walls. Dan flung his bedroom door open, revealing it had been divided into two halves. The first, facing the window, was completely neat. The sheets on the bed were nearly folded, and there were generic paintings there. Blaine scowled at them, and started to unload his items – mostly clothes, and a few old photo albums.

"At least you won't need to use my space." Dan said, amused. Blaine did not respond, instead looking over at the other side of the room. It looked like a bomb had hit it, with the sheets almost fully on the floor, clothes poking out of drawers, and posters of boxers, wrestlers, and various motorcycles on the wall. Underneath the bed was what looked like a stack of adult magazines, and some VHS tapes from the nearby rental shop.

"Hey, are those -"

"Watch it!" Dan said, kicking them further back. "That's my stuff, not yours! And if you tell my folks, I'll -"

"You'll what?" Blaine asked, aggressive. "Kill me? A bit harder to hide a dead body than some naughty magazines!"

"...Shut up." Dan said. "Look, I'm letting you crash here for a little bit. My folks are pretty generous to let you have somewhere 'safe and sound'. But there are ground rules, you know. Number 1: No cramping my style. If I'm bringing any of my friends up here, you better get lost. They're mine, not yours."

"Hey, let me grab a pencil before you start lecturing me..." Blaine said, unimpressed.

"Oh, you won't need to write this down. You're not gonna forget this any time soon." Dan said, angry. "Number 2: You don't touch any of my stuff. Our folks might do alright for Kanaloa, but we're not rolling in it either. That's why you don't get your own room. So if I catch you even trying to touch my stuff...you're gonna regret it. Got that?"

"Don't look at me like I'm some kind of moron. I'm not even going to breathe near your stupid stuff. You can just pretend I'm not here." Blaine said.

"Fine, then you can sleep easy." Dan said, displeased. "Then there's only one more rule. You saw my kid brother downstairs, right?"

"What am I, a goldfish? Course I remember him." Blaine said, bemused. "What about him? I don't have to babysit him, do I?"

Dan, coldly, grabbed Blaine by the cuff of his shirt. "I ain't joking, Blaine. That little kid is my baby brother, and if you make him cry, or he gets hurt and its your fault...guess what'll happen."

Blaine, now frightened, gulped. He nodded, and Dan let go. "So...is that 'welcome to the family'?"

"More like 'Don't overstay your welcome.'" Dan said. "Okay, get lost. I've got homework to do. My teacher's giving me shit about not handing it in on time. Trust me, I've heard stories about what really goes into her pigeon hole..."

"Whatever." Blaine said, unpacking his small selection of clothes. "See you at dinner time."

"I can hardly wait. Tell your drugged up mom to hurry up and rehabilitate or whatever, would ya? It'd make our lives a lot easier. My folks don't need you moping around..." Dan said, getting out his school bag.

Blaine glared at Dan, hatefully, but said nothing. He wanted to beat the hell out of this jerk, for daring to mock his mother. But he was too small, too weak next to this boy. Suppressing tears, he went downstairs, and sat on the sofa, sulking.

"Is...everything alright?" Rachael asked, now watching a rather nauseating cartoon with Matthew, who was laughing happily at the animals frolicking onscreen.

"Yeah." Blaine said flatly. At least this house had TV, but he doubted he'd get a chance to watch what he really liked. Maybe _The Simpsons_, but probably not his cartoons like Transformers and Rocko's Modern Life. Dan probably watched more 'grown-up' stuff that his parents wouldn't let Blaine watch. Sure, he might be able to ask to watch his shows, but Dan would probably get on his case. So he might as well let the baby have his bottle.

"Dan's rather stubborn." Rachael said, shaking her head. "He likes his own space. And he's very protective of Matthew here, isn't he?" Matthew looked up, curious. He didn't quite get what his mother meant, but he nodded anyway. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he behaves himself. Perhaps, if things get really bad, I'll tell his father about his 'stash'..."

Blaine gasped. He saw Rachael's mischievous stare, scared. "You knew?"

"Oh, of course. He's easy to read, my son. Always trying to act tough to impress his friends, but he's a soft one. You should see him and Matthew playing together. Perhaps you should join in with them."

"Nah..." Blaine said. He looked at Matthew, and sighed. This little boy was so oblivious to what was going on. He probably just thought he had a new playmate. The infant pointed at Blaine's face, curious. "Um, what's he pointing at?"

"He looks sad." Matthew said, suddenly.

"Uh..." Blaine said, flustered. He scratched his head, without knowing what to say. This little kid was kind of cute, he thought. A look of pure innocence, from any angle. Yet looking at this boy made Blaine think of his own childhood. _I was his age once, huh? When Dad was around...he was probably just as awesome even then..._

"He's just tired, sweetie. It's rude to point!" Rachael said. "Now then, Blaine, we'll be having dinner at six. My husband David will be home soon -"

"Daddy!" Matthew said, grinning.

"Yes, his daddy will be home soon. Please be a good boy when he arrives, okay?" Rachael said. "He works so hard at that building site, and the last thing he needs is any stress."

"I got it." Blaine said, anxiously. "So what's for dinner?"

"Fish and chips!" Matthew cheered, happily. Blaine forced a smile. From the smell in the kitchen, he could tell the fish was nothing like the one his mother made. And he'd have to eat his veggies, too.

_Please, Mom, get better...I want to go home..._

**|Dining Room|6:16 pm|**

The family, as well as Blaine, sat at a table, with a fresh new cloth over it. The fish in front of them, covered in batter and served with tartare sauce, chunky potato chips and mushy peas, looked scrumptious. Yet Blaine didn't have much appetite, and ate his slowly, compared to Dan who wolfed his down.

"Excuse me? What have I told you about eating too fast?" David Kingsley, the patriarch of the household, said. "For god's sake, eat with your mouth closed! At least our guest knows how to eat properly!"

Blaine looked up, like a deer in headlights. He looked left, and saw Matthew eating a smaller portion, and Rachael, who kept quiet. Dan, however, gave him a murderous stare. Even by trying to avoid attention, he was getting his room mate in trouble.

_What the hell do I do? If I ate like him, his dad would get pissed and I'd have to go back to that stupid care home..._

"Um, honey, how was work today?" Rachael asked, as she drank some lemonade.

"Tiring." David said, scratching the hair on his chin. "Even with this many men on the job, it's taking forever to get these flats up. Course, once they're ready to occupy they'll be run-down hovels in a month's time. But money is money."

"What's hovel?" Matthew asked.

"Um..." Rachael mumbled. "It means it's not a very nice place."

"And once we've got those done, we're moving onto some new hotel in Saragel. The people running it have no idea what they're doing, though. Cutting corners on everything, just so they can be ready for the holidays. They even told me they wanted it as cheap as possible, so they went for 'some suckers in Kanaloa'. One of these days, I'm gonna..." David stopped himself, noticing his children and wife staring at him. "Uh, never mind. Want my advice, Blaine? Don't be a builder when you grow up. Or you'll spend most of your time chasing after your clients for unpaid bills."

"Unpainted bills?" Matthew asked.

"Um, not quite." Dan said, grinning. "Hey, don't leave your veggies, they're good for you!"

"I don't see you eating yours, son..." David said, sternly. "How will he think they're good if you won't touch them? Well? He's very impressionable at that age."

"I-I was going to eat them, seriously! I just saved the best for last!" Dan said, laughing nervously. Blaine shrugged, and kept eating. He just let this family talk, mostly about David's nightmares at work, Rachael's falling out with her hairdresser, and Dan's slipping grades at school. Blaine, feeling more and more out of place, gave quick answers to any questions. Only for seconds did anyone seem to remember Blaine was even there.

_Dad was way cooler...he wouldn't whine about how hard his day had been. He always looked forward to coming home and asking me about school, and he'd give mom a big kiss and thank her for another great dinner...this is so stupid! I don't belong here...maybe there's nowhere I belong anymore. _

The night went on similarly, except with even less interest in Blaine. Perhaps Mr and Mrs Kingsley were too nervous to ask much about Blaine's home life, in fear of causing a tantrum. And Dan and Matthew went upstairs to play with the latter's toys, without even looking at their new guest. So Blaine was stuck downstairs, having to listen to the news.

"_News just in. In Northern Ireland, the loyalist terrorist group Ulster Freedom Fighters opened fire in a crowded bar in Greysteel. Eight civilians are reported killed, and thirteen wounded. We go live to..."_

Blaine was so angry at his situation that he didn't even pay attention to the awful story the newsreader was discussing. He just sat there, glancing at the living room, feeling the envy rise up inside of him. There were tons of stupid paintings on the walls, of girly things like flowers or trees. A bowl of garish wax fruit was perched on a table, in a feeble attempt to look inviting. The lights were tacky chandeliers, that clashed blatantly with the bland wooden tables and chairs.

"Blaine, why don't you go up and see what Daniel and Matthew are doing?" David asked.

Without a response, Blaine got up, and went upstairs. He glanced at the the other bedroom, and saw the two brothers sitting on the floor, playing with a toy steering wheel. Matthew seemed to be having a great time 'driving', making the vrooms with his voice, while Dan was pretending to be a passenger. Blaine thought about going in, but didn't. Instead, he went straight into Dan's room, which was now also his own.

One of the few things he had kept was a copy of _Black Lightning_, a 'Motus Original' comic book In it, the main character Zack Core drove the eponymous motorcycle to fight back against the corrupt police, and at the end of very issue he and the person he saved drove off, looking for the next victim. In this one, Zack saved an upcoming actress called Cecilia from a rather grisly abduction, and she took up the role as his right hand lady.

_Zack's so cool...if I had his motorcycle, I could go anywhere. Maybe over to Saragel, where the nice beach is..wouldn't it be awesome if I could just waltz into Nova Albion and show them who's boss?_

He read the the issue from the start again, noticing that he had written his own name proudly on the top. His dad picked it up on the way from work one evening, and he had made sure to keep this one, the best comic he had ever read. Of course, he was one of the few fans in Kanaloa. Most of his classmates preferred DC or Marvel heroes, and while Blaine liked those too, he had a soft spot for Zack Core. As time went by, he heard Matthew being put to bed, and Dan going downstairs. Next, he heard some loud voices.

_Jeez, what's Dan done now? What an ass..._

More hours passed, until Dan walked in, and without a word, got back to work on his homework. Clearly, he had a lot more to do than he realised, and his father wouldn't have him failing another assignment. Blaine shrugged. As long as he was the lonely, neglected kid here, these foster parents wouldn't get on his case too much. He could just give the woman puppy dog eyes, and she'd let him off.

"Hey, don't you have work to do?" Dan asked, bored.

"Not really..." Blaine said, shrugging.

"Lucky bastard." Dan said, glaring at his maths test sheet. "This shit makes no sense...who around here's going to need this stuff anyway?"

"You sure don't look like a mathematician..." Blaine said, dryly.

"Think you're so cool, don't you?" Dan said, seething. "Look. My dad's got his own business, so I can just go with him after school. But only if I pass these classes. So quit trying to be a smartass."

"Gee, sorry..." Blaine said. Reluctantly, he reached into his schoolbag, and gulped. There was a lot of homework that needed to be done for tomorrow, and it was already about ten in the evening. He was going to be up all night doing this. Quickly, he got to the desk on his side, and started furiously scribbling away. He thought he heard Dan laugh, but when he turned around, he just saw him trying to solve some Pythagoras problems.

_Oh man...why did Archie have to leave? He always made learning this stuff easy with his computer... Why did it have to be them...?_

By the time he was finally done, it was midnight. Dan had finished as well, breathing a sigh of relief. Blaine, tired, just fell onto his bed, and soon fell into a deep slumber. No one to say 'good night' to him here, either. This place was no home, that was for sure. Just a place to stay.

**|November 1st|Dining Room|7:30 am|**

The weekend had passed without incident. Yet, Blaine still felt like he was invisible in that house. As polite and dignified as Rachael was, she had a habit of nagging him about the slightest things. To her credit, she did pick out more clothes for him, but opted for ones she thought were nice – rather than the ones he wanted to buy. David, however, was more interested in his own sons, making sure Dan wasn't a bad influence on Matthew.

The weekend had not softened the atmosphere between the two boys. Rather, Dan just simply ordered Blaine to stay out of the way, so he and Matthew could hang out by themselves. For a fleeting moment, Blaine wanted to ask if he could join in. After all, Matthew seemed like a good kid, and it might be fun to see him enjoy his various toys. But then he remembered what Dan had said the day he arrived. About his mother.

_That bastard...the minute I can get home, I'm out of here. But I have to watch my step around him...he could beat the crap out of me in seconds._

The family were eating breakfast, which consisted of corn flakes, toast, orange juice and some fried eggs. The radio was on, and the newsreader was rambling on about mostly unimportant news regarding 'exciting' new developments.

"_The Hotel Gomaden is coming to Legarte this holiday season! Yes folks, the famous hotel on a boat, normally moored in coastal cities of Japan, is staying in New Motus City for one week! Its owner, Victor, promises that this time, his boat will be the site of a 'fusion' of guests! An enigmatic character, he claims that his vessel is safe from any 'Phantoms', so your 'soul' will be just safe with him. Eccentric he may be, but his hotel boasts a five star restaurant, and the rooms are deluxe!"_

"Blaine?" Rachael said. Blaine looked up, expecting another lecture on how he was eating. "I've made you a packed lunch. Egg and cress sandwich, an apple, some pear juice, and a Penguin." Rather than the waddling Antarctic bird, she meant a chocolate biscuit that originated from the United Kingdom. These had recently become popular in New Motus as well.

"Thanks." Blaine said. "You ain't – um, you're not making one for Dan?"

"Nah man, I don't need my mom to make my lunch." Dan said.

"He just gets her to give him money for it..." David said, disapprovingly.

"It just means she doesn't have to do so much in the morning." Dan said, sheepishly. "It's not like your sandwiches suck or anything! H-honest!"

"Suck!" Matthew chirped up.

"Dan, what have we said about the language you use in front of Matthew?" Rachael chided. "Now that we're living here, we have to be more civilised!"

"Sorry..." Dan said, annoyed.

Shortly after this, David drove off to his work, and the boys went off to their school.

**|Sunhill High School|8:13 am|**

Sunhill, like most of the institutions around the city, was a badly run-down, poorly managed facility. It once had a mural of a sun shining over a hill, but most of that had been covered with graffiti. Mostly vulgar jibes at teachers, such as labeling Mrs Dixon a 'dyke'. The school had just painted over this, leaving ugly white smears over the front door.

"Hey. You're not going to sit with me at lunch, are ya?" Dan asked. "I don't want to have to babysit you in front of my friends."

"I don't need a babysitter, you asshole." Blaine said. "And I don't need to sit near you or your friends."

"Good, then we're cool. And I ain't giving you any lunch money, so you'll just have to throw your sandwich in the trash."

"What? Why not just eat it?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, you could try that. Some food poisoning before English might get you out of it. Later." Dan said, walking in. Blaine, shrugging, went to find his own class. Another day of tedium to be done with...

**After School, 15:30 pm**

Dan hadn't been joking. The sandwich, despite looking fresh, tasted absolutely disgusting. Perhaps it was the ingredients Rachael bought. Blaine couldn't even swallow the mouthful he had tasted. Immediately, it went into the bin.

The rest of the day wasn't much better, either. With the knowledge that Blaine was at a foster home, the other kids couldn't help but giggle. Many harsh remarks were made about his mother, such that she was off her head talking to herself wearing a straight jacket. Yet no matter how much bile was spouted by these scumbags, Blaine kept quiet, even trying to focus on his schoolwork.

_You'd think they'd feel sorry for me...no one wants to sit near me anymore. I used to be the cool kid here, but now I'm some loser with a bank robber for a dad. And they're saying my mom's foaming at the mouth...but if I get into any more fights, I'll get into big trouble..._

Finally, it was time to head home. He didn't see Dan, and he didn't care. They didn't have to go home in a pair. Besides, he'd just be an easy target for Dan's friends. No doubt they had to listen to his nightmare, the ordeal of having to share his bedroom with some little kid.

"Hey Blaine, you looking for your mom? I bet she's enjoying her padded room!" Another boy said, chuckling to himself.

"I heard she hears voices all the time! How about you, Blaine? You ever hear any _scary_ voices in your head? They say it runs in the family!" A thuggish girl said.

"You know what you oughta do?" One other boy said. "Go follow in your dad's footsteps! Except actually rob the damn bank this time!"

That had done it. It had been bad enough listening to them talk trash about his mother. Now they had dared to mock his father to his face. Without warning, his fist went straight into the last boy's face, knocking him straight to the ground.

"Hey, what the hell?"

The voice behind him was Dan. Frightened, with everyone's eyes on him, his mind went wild with what might happen next. Without a moment to lose, he stormed off, ignoring the crowd of voices yelling at him. Tears streamed down Blaine's cheeks, as he bounded down the road.

_Dad, I'm sorry! I knew I shouldn't have done that, but...they were making fun of you, Dad! Now I've really let you down...I'll never be like you...without you, I can't stand it...I just want you back, Dad! Even if you're mad at me..._

Finally, Blaine couldn't run any further. Panting for breath, he finally slowed down to a walk, and with sweat dripping down his face, mixing with his tears, he reached the beach.

**|Kanaloa Beach|15:50 pm|**

Blaine's legs ached from all that running, and his shoes had gotten scuffed. Desperate for a rest, he sat on a faded teal bench, overlooking the sandy seas and sparkling seas. It had been so long since he had been there with his dad, splashing him and getting him to dig a moat for his sand castle. And his mother always brought a nice healthy picnic for the three of them. Those were happy times. But they would never come again.

For his father had gone to jail, and shot himself before he could be sentenced. His mother had lost all passion, and because of that stupid teacher reporting her to the authorities, he had been taken into care. He had always been proud of have a great home, unlike most of his friends. But now he was just like them.

He glanced further to his left, and saw some teenagers in ripped jeans on the beach drinking some cider, and talking very loudly about how they were going to have a 'crack' at 'Vanessa Fox'. Blaine whimpered, but looked away. He could look after himself. He didn't need the Kingsley family. They were better off without him, anyway.

"There you are!"

Blaine looked up, in fright. He knew the voice, but did not look up. He glanced at his feet, trembling, and as his eyes watered, the other boy sat down.

"What the hell were you doing back there?" Dan asked. "You think my mom won't find out what ou did? She's going to kill you! And Dad – you know what he's like! How could you be so stupid?!"

"What the hell do you care?" Blaine asked. "If I get expelled from school, I'll just end up back at that care home! Then you won't have to see me ever again!"

"Oh yeah? You'd rather go to that shithole than stay with us? We're too good for you?" Dan asked, defensively.

"No!" Blaine said. "I'm...I'm not part of your family! And I...I never will be! Your dad doesn't even know I'm there most of the time! And your mother's only nice to me because she has to, because those Social Service guys will report her if she's not!"

"You...serious?" Dan said, raising his eyebrow. "Dude. The whole time you've been at my house, has my dad ever said anything nice to me? Nope. You don't want his attention, seriously. Not unless you want him to criticise your clothes, your music...why do you think I hide so much stuff under my bed? I don't need him finding out! And my mom...as bad as her sandwiches are, she doesn't make them unless she cares. Matthew's got that to look forward to..."

"Well, whatever!" Blaine said. "You don't get it...I want to go home! I don't belong with you guys! I'm not a Kingsley! What kind of name is that, anyway? Yeah, I wish my 'drugged up mom' would get better too! I used to have my own room, too! This is never going to work..."

"...Alright. I shouldn't have said that." Dan said. "That guy whose face you smashed him? I gave him a little talking to. If he doesn't want a plastic surgeon, he won't be going near you any time soon. Come on, you don't wanna stay here at night, do ya? Let's get going already!"

"No!" Blaine shouted, as the tears finally came gushing. "Everything was great until now! Dad...he was the best dad ever! So cool, so tough, and he and I always hung out! He was the best...but now he's dead! He tried to rob a bank...and they put him in jail! And then...he shot himself in the head! I heard that from the teachers at school...they were too scared to tell it to my face!"

Dan remained silent. The boy next to him, blubbing his eyes out, had finally dropped his indifferent exterior. Now he was showing what he really was...a lonely boy who had lost everything.

"And Mom...she didn't use to be that way...she always used to cut my hair, so I'd look just like my dad! She was a great mom, you know? She always used to give me a hug when I got home from school...she was always there if I was scared. But...when Dad died, she just stopped caring...we had to sell everything good we ever had! We should be back in that house, the way we were...but now I'm all alone...stuck with your family! I don't belong there...and they don't want me! You can't even stand being in the same room as me!"

The two of them were silent, as Blaine continued to cry. But finally, Dan lifted up Blaine's head, ready to say his piece.

"...Listen up." Dan said, grimly. "Yeah, you think your life sucks right now. But let me tell you something about us. You think we always had a home like that?"

Blaine shook his head. After all, that estate was new. And there weren't many places in Kanaloa like it.

"We were stuck in a crappy old apartment up the road..." Dan said. "My dad was a builder, working all day and night just so we could stay in that slum. I don't know how many times we saw rats and the landlord didn't do shit about them. And the people above, below and next to us were always shouting, or playing music, shit like that. Never got any sleep. I thought we were going to be stuck in that dump forever. The plumbing kept going bad, power cuts every fortnight, and we were lucky if we got to eat every night."

Blaine shuddered. He had never been in a place quite as bad as that, but he had a vague recollection of his father being in a similar situation. Living in Kanaloa was hard, he said, unless you've got family with you. And Blaine didn't have that right now.

"We finally got out of that stinking hole when my dad got a sudden promotion. He's in charge of that building firm now. There's talk of him getting to put up some fancy new houses in Nova Albion, you know. Can you imagine? Nova Fucking Albion...it's the closest he'll get to living like a king. Point is, he didn't just put up with his crappy situation and cry about it. He did something. He worked real hard, and it paid off. And my parents finally got around to having another baby." Dan said, smiling.

"He's a funny little guy..." Blaine said, fondly.

"Yup. You think he doesn't like you? Trust me, he just wants to get to know you. That you're not some scary monster that came from under the bed." Dan said, now amused. "So...come on. I know you think everything's gone wrong. But it doesn't mean it has to stay that way. My dad knew that, and now we're doing okay. If you stick at it, you'll find a place with us. Maybe not forever, but why be miserable the whole time?"

"But, I..." Blaine said.

"If you're going to be sulking around, or crying your eyes out...then that's not going to get anything done. Your mom can't come running to get you, not yet. And you dad, even if he was cool, isn't coming back." Dan said. He held out his hand, managing a smile. "Blaine. Forget all that shit I said before. Screw those rules. If we have to share a room, we might as well try not to kill each other. And it'd be nice to have someone older than two to talk to."

Blaine managed a chuckle. He thought for a moment, and saw the earnest face of the boy next to him. He once was intimidating, but now he looked like someone he could trust. Maybe a friend.

"Well...can I watch my shows on TV sometime?" Blaine asked.

"You worried about that?" Dan said, smirking. "Guess I don't mind. What do you watch, then?"

"Um..." Blaine said, embarrassed. "There's Batman, X-Men, and -"

"I got one word to say to you. Awesome." Dan said, happily. "I think you and I might just hit it off. Just one thing. How many issues of _Black Lightning_ you got?"

"Just one..." Blaine said. "Why? You got more?"

"Yup. Got twelve. But yours is the one that Matthew ruined..." Dan said, smirking. "But I can't stay mad at him. Not when he's giving you that look with those big eyes of his. Still, never thought I'd find another copy. How about it? We'll start collecting together!"

"...Cool!" Blaine said, getting up from the bench. "Come on, I wanna know what happens when Zack meets Kay Belle!"

"I'll show you it when we get home!" Dan said, cheerily. "Just one thing. He gets another upgrade this time, but so does the Black Thunder..."

The two of them went home, flapping their gums over their favourite comics. Dan, even at fourteen, still had a soft spot for the story, but he seemed to prefer the comic's anti-villain Zane, who rode the Dark Thunder. Although they disagreed, the animosity was fleeting. Instead, it became a friendly, yet spirited, discussion over who was cooler. Blaine hadn't had a conversation this fun in a long time, not since days with his father, mother and Archie.

"Guess it's a little late now, but..." Dan said, suddenly anxious. They were just coming up to their house, where no doubt an angry David and a panicked Rachael were waiting by the door.

"Late for what?" Blaine asked.

"Welcome to your new home." Dan said, grinning. The two of them held out their hands, and shook them firmly. Without further delay, they returned home. Something new had stirred in both of their hearts – a bond that would refuse to break.


	11. Thunder and Lightning II

**AN: **A second part of the Blaine and Dan back story, set four years later. Might as well summarise what the other main characters are doing:

Amara: Now seven, this is the year she moves to the city. Not sure if it would be this time period, exactly, but probably not long after. Already a budding artist.

Nathan: Thirteen, and already quite polite and mature. He's started to study really hard at school, and is playing golf in his spare time. Hasn't become Priscilla's boyfriend yet.

Serena: Only three years old, while Kyle is two. Might be in nursery school. We saw a glimpse of an infant Serena in one of Nina's flashbacks, although that was 1996.

Karl: Seven, and already a die-hard soccer fan. Friends with Zao, and a doting big brother to Aimee, who is three (four in June.)

Zao: Seven, a fishing maniac who loves his grandpa. His only friend is Karl, but he likes playing with Aimee too.

As for other characters, most of them would still be children and have more or less average lives. I may do similar chapters for some back stories (particularly Roger and Karen), but I'll play that by ear.

* * *

><p><strong>Thunder and Lightning, Part II<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>|April 11th 1998|Kingsley Home, Marchmont Terrace – Dan and Blaine's Room|12:30 am|<strong>

It was midnight, and Blaine was flipping through pages of a sports magazine he picked up the other day. There was a boxing fight on tomorrow, and he intended on staying up and watching it. Of course, that meant not making too much noise. The last time he and Dan had watched a fight on TV, it lasted until four in the morning, and their cheering woke up a very angry David.

_Of course, I've gotta try and visit Mom on tomorrow...she might get better soon. I only got to see her once last year...and we both cried the whole time. I'm sixteen now. I've got to be better than that. I've got to show her I can be as brave as Dad._

The door to the bedroom opened, and in came a rather sleepy Daniel, dressed in his best shirt and jeans. Blaine looked up, and smiled. The two of them had been living here for some time, initially hating each other, but over the last four years Blaine had become more and more a part of this family. He and Dan were practically brothers, always ending up in trouble together.

"Hey dude." Dan said, flopping onto his own bed. "Shouldn't you be asleep, young man?" He said this in a laughably bad imitation of his father, and they both laughed – quietly, of course.

"So how'd your date go?" Blaine asked, curious. This evening, Dan had gone out with one of the best looking girls in Kanaloa, Kelly. She had a reputation as a gold-digger, and while Dan's pockets weren't exactly lined, he was one of the few boys she knew with a job – a builder with his father's company. Blaine was worried, and jealous – to be going out with such a busty brunette was every guy in Kanaloa's dream.

"Well..." Dan said, sighing. "It started okay...we had some really good conversation. I thought we had something going, you know? But...she just had to see her ex, and decided that she couldn't finish with him after all..."

"What? That stupid bitch!" Blaine said, angry. "Who does she think she is?"

"Whoa, keep your voice down!" Dan cautioned. "Look, please don't do anything crazy, okay? Kelly's not worth it. I didn't exactly pour my heart out to her, but it felt like she was really listening. Maybe it's not possible to be sensitive and the tough guy at once..."

"Really? I'm not having any trouble..." Blaine said, smirking.

"Buddy, it doesn't count if it ends in an alleyway." Dan said, shaking his head. "Ah well. In a few days, I can come home drunk and get away with it. Kinda."

"Oh yeah! The big eighteen, huh?" Blaine said, eagerly. "Damn, I've got next year for that. But for now, we're going to party like it's 1998."

"Damn straight. Thing is, though..." Dan said, anxiously. "I've got something I need to tell Dad about."

"The driving lessons, right?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah. I can finally get my own motorcycle. Maybe that'll be the chick magnet I've been looking for. Riding with a babe through the streets, it's perfect. But really, I need to tell Dad I want to quit the builder job."

"What?" Blaine asked. "I thought you liked it there?"

"Nah. Sure, it keeps me in good shape, but it's just gotten boring. I'm thinking about becoming a bus driver, you know? It's good pay, better than what I get on the site." Dan said. "Plus, it'll be a lot less tiring than laying bricks and fitting windows."

"I guess." Blaine said. "Once I'm done with school, I need to figure out what I want to do..."

"Well Blaine, you can take my job. You're pretty much family now. My dad will hire you right now if you ask him!" Dan said. "Anyway...I better get to bed. You'd better sleep too..."

"Yeah. Night." Blaine said, flipping off his light switch. As Dan got ready for bed, he had a long thought about where he needed to go tomorrow.

_Visiting Mom in the hospital...how has it been four years since then?_

Blaine had lived here for four long years. At the start, he had refused to call it home, and expected to be out of here in a few months at the moment. However, his mother Pauline's recovery was slow, and he had rarely been given chances to visit her in the hospital. Those times were tough on them both, as conversation did not come easily. Her deep depression made it hard to say the right thing, and he often went back holding back tears.

On the up side, though, he had been pretty happy here. Dan, as it turned out, wasn't a bad guy at all. The two of them managed to open up a little about themselves, and quickly started spending most of their time together. It soon became like having an older brother, one who wasn't quite as mature as he should be. They were boys that were nearly men, and had grown comfortable with each other. When Blaine felt down, Dan was there to give him a shot of courage, and vice versa.

Still, Blaine yearned for the days with his father. Six years it had been, but that man was still dearly missed. In his teenage years, however, Blaine had started to take after his dad a lot. Especially the face, and even his muscle tone was starting to take shape. Even now, his dad was his hero. And anyone who brought up that bank robbery was going to get a fist in their jaw.

Blaine feel fast asleep, as he got through yet another night in Marchmont Terrace.

**|Marchmont Terrace – Dining Room|7:40 am|**

"Ah...good morning!" Rachael said, as she saw Blaine coming down the stairs. Dan was with him, and he sat right next to his kid brother, eating his Fruit Loops.

"Bro! How did your date go? Was she pretty?" Matthew asked.

"Well, she was really beautiful. But...we're probably not going to see each other again." Dan said, sheepishly. "She...well, we're not compatible."

"Chin up, champ." David said. "She doesn't know what she's missing. Besides, you've got something to look forward to."

"Oh yeah! Dan's eighteen next week! That's three times my age!" Matthew said, proudly.

"Good boy. Twelve more years and that'll be you!" Dan said. "And that'll make me thirty...man, I feel old already."

"With that monstrosity growing on your chin, you look forty already..." Blaine said, grinning. He got a light punch to the shoulder, but Dan laughed anyway. He had recently forgone shaving, and had something of a goatee growing. All to look older.

"Ah, don't listen to him. I'd say closer to thirty five." David said, amused. "Right then, me and Matthew here will need to get something special. This is a milestone, after all. Blaine, are you coming?"

"...Um, darling, he needs to go see her today." Rachael said.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry." David said. "Did the hospital say how she was doing?"

"No, but...maybe she's gotten better. There's a chance. It's been months since I last got a chance to go." Blaine said. "Who knows? Maybe she can get out soon!"

"Yeah, that'd be nice..." Matthew said, somewhat half-heartedly.

"You okay, Matthew?" Dan asked. "Look, tell you what. If he's going to be busy today, we'll do something special tomorrow! We'll head for the beach, the good one in Saragel! The forecast looks good."

"Yay!" Matthew said. "Remember when we buried Blaine in the sand?"

"Yeah, that was pretty awesome." Dan said. "That seagull was on his head for a while, though..."

After a quick breakfast, Blaine hurried out to the hospital, while the others wished him well.

_Damn, I should be more excited about Dan turning eighteen. He'll be pretty much a man soon...old enough to drink, drive, vote. Course, not old enough to gamble...but that's probably a good thing. Time to go see Mom...please don't cry this time..._

**|Kanaloa - Marianne Memorial Hospital|9:21 am|**

This was the only hospital in Kanaloa, and thus the only facility here that the government made sure was in top-notch condition. Granted, there were better hospitals elsewhere, but it was equipped to suit the needs of the district. Named after a prominent brain surgeon named Marianne Greenfield, it was kept clean, albeit bland.

Blaine walked up, and recognised the receptionist. A plain, yet usually civil lady called Sunita, who was looking through records on the Windows 98 PC. He walked up to her, and she gave a rather half-hearted smile.

"Good morning, Mr Spencer." Sunita said. "You have a meeting with Dr Kato in regards to your mother Pauline, is that correct?"

"Yeah. Is he ready for me?" Blaine asked, nervous.

"Yes. He's waiting for you in his office, on the sixth floor." Sunita said. "I hope everything goes well today. Last time, you seemed quite upset when you left."

"Um..." Blaine mumbled. "Things were a bit emotional then...and they might be today..."

"Ah." Sunita said. "Then try your best to be brave."

"Thanks..." Blaine said. Slowly, he walked up to the elevator, and soon enough, he found Dr Kato's office on 6F.

Luckily for Blaine, New Motus City had a system similar to the United Kingdom's National Health Service. This meant that Blaine didn't have to worry about paying for his mother's care, which he simply couldn't have done. Dr Katsuhiro Kato, a young but extremely talented doctor of psychology, welcomed Blaine to sit down, and gave him a cup of tea with a smile. He pulled out his notes, and began to speak.

"Thank you for coming, Blaine. You seem to be in good health." Dr Kato said. "No doubt the Kingsley family are looking after you well."

"Yeah, they've been a great help. Sure is better than being in that care home..." Blaine said.

"It's actually improved a lot since you were fostered. Granted, that may not say a lot." Dr Kato said. "Now, however, I'd like to get onto the important business. As it stands, your mother has been suffering from severe depression for four years. You must understand that conditions like these can last for a long time. As it stands, she is still unable to live on her own."

"...But Doc, you're supposed to be a genius! Can't you do something?" Blaine asked.

"Blaine. This isn't something that has a known cure, or that can be fixed by surgery. Yes, it is an illness, like any other. It may be in her head, but that does not make it any less real. Many of my peers, however, dismiss serious conditions like Pauline's. However, I believe I can find a way for her to regain her passion for life."

"It's been years, Doc..." Blaine said. "I don't want to have to wait half a year, or more, just to see her again. She might forget what I look like..."

"That's not the case, young man. Your mother is looking forward to seeing you. In fact, when it comes to you, she manages to get interested in her surroundings. She will converse slightly with myself or the other hospital staff, she will try to tidy herself up, and...ahem...worry that you'll cut yourself shaving." Dr Kato said. "Apparently that happened with your father one morning, and he got rather animated."

"She...really said that?" Blaine said, eyes wide. "Then...can I see her?"

"Yes." Dr Kato said. "I must say, however, that treatment from myself and other doctors has not yet proved effective. I'm not saying she will never leave this hospital, but it may be some time. Patience is a virtue, Blaine."

"I...gotcha." Blaine said.

The two of them quickly went to his mother's room in the hospital. There, sitting by the window in her pink dressing gown, thinner than before, was Pauline. Her hair had lost its luster, and her eyes were weary and staring lifelessly out of the window. When the door opened, however, she stared at her son like a deer in headlights.

"M...Mom?" Blaine said. Uneasy, he walked over to her.

"Blaine...my goodness...you're so tall now!" Pauline said. "And...is that stubble? Good, you're shaving properly this time..."

The two of them quickly hugged each other, although both of them were rather teary eyed. A kind nurse brought over tea and biscuits, while Dr Kato sat further away, watching the two of them with genuine sympathy.

"Um...I brought you something." Blaine said. He pulled out a bag from a women's clothing store. He had asked Rachael to pick out something 'nice, flowery and girly', and she had elected for a white top with red and yellow flowers. She gasped, as she took it from him. "Like it?"

"It's lovely...you didn't need to do that." Pauline said. "My little boy's so mature, isn't he Doctor?" Dr Kato nodded. "If only I had managed to get something for you. Especially since I missed your birthday..."

"It's...okay." Blaine said, managing a smile. "I'm just happy being here." He had some tea, and drummed his fingers on the armrests, trying to figure out something to say. "I'll be leaving school this year, you know."

"Really?" Pauline said. "You're leaving early?"

"Well..." Blaine said, thinking. "I just want to get out there and start working. I don't think there's much more they can teach me at Sunhill, anyway."

"If you've made up your mind, then..." Pauline began, thinking. "...I'm proud of you, no matter what you do. I still think of you as my little boy, no matter how big you get. I used to worry that when you were this age, you'd turn against me and become a rebel. Go out and become a vandal, or worse. But look at you. Coming in to say hi to your mad mother..."

"Mom, you're not mad..." Blaine said, awkwardly. "And trust me. I can get pretty wild sometimes. But I promise I won't get into trouble. I don't know what kind of job I'll do after school, but I promise I'll work hard."

Pauline smiled, weakly, as she leaned in closer. "Good boy. You know, your father started off packing boxes. Next thing you know, he's signed up to join the Navy! The way he looked in his uniform...a perfect gentleman. Strong, courageous and full of heart. Just like you. You know, the whole time he was away on duty, he wrote to me. Once a year, he came back and told me all about his assignments. He even saved a young private's life, you know."

"Dad...did that?" Blaine asked.

"Oh, yes. Oliver Martin, his name was. It was a hard job, rescuing him from that storm, but your father did it. He was like that, you know. Always put others first. And the day he told me he was leaving the Navy, he...gave me this." She held up her hand to Blaine's face, and showed him the gold ring. "I...I said yes to him right then and there. Even if he's gone out to sea again, I'll never stop wearing it."

"Mom..." Blaine said.

"Stop looking so sad." Pauline said, wiping her son's eyes. "Today is a good day. Come on, you have to tell me about how you're doing. I hope that Dan boy isn't a bad influence on you. He wasn't so kind when you first met him, after all."

"That was ages ago, Mom!" Blaine said, laughing. "We're great friends, actually. Tomorrow, me, him and Matthew are heading to the beach. It's always pretty fun when it's the three of us, you know. Like, the other day Dan's parents took us all to the theme park, and..."

Blaine, feeling more and more relaxed, managed to tell his mother about the adventures he and his two foster brothers got up to. If she knew how happy he was, she might try and get better faster. That was what he told himself. She had managed to mention his father without bursting into tears, which was an even better sign. The hours went on, as the two of them laughed together. It almost made up for the long months without seeing her face.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but..." Dr Kato said. "I'm afraid we'll need to call it a day here."

"Really?" Blaine said, sighing.

"Don't look so sad, Blaine. I might be able to see you more often, if I try a bit harder with my treatment." Pauline said, happily. "You...please, be good. Have fun at the beach tomorrow, you hear?"

"Will do!" Blaine said. He gave his mother a parting hug, and reluctantly, he left the hospital. Heading home, he was filled with both happiness and sadness.

_She's getting better, right? I just wish I knew what to do. If only I could do something...Dad, what should I do? _

**April 12th|Saragel Beach|14:40 pm|**

The three boys, damp from the cold water, had started making sand castles for Matthew. Rather than just use a bucket, they tried their best to draw in details like a drawbridge, windows, and spires. Of course, they weren't quite so good at this, and most of the castle ended up crumbling away.

"Crap, not again..." Dan said, dismayed as one of the towers fell apart. "It was looking good, too!"

"No it wasn't!" Matthew said. "How do those guys who make those big models do it? Like the guy who made that sphinx!"

"It must be some kind of sorcery." Blaine said, wiping the wet sand off his legs. "Let's just do a normal one, like last time."

"We do that every time. Come on, let's try and make something different! Matthew, got any ideas?" Dan asked.

"We could do our house!" Matthew said. "You couldn't mess that up, right?"

"I think I can handle that, my man." Blaine said. "Except maybe in this one, I get my own room."

"Fine, but Mom's going to need a maid to help clean up after you!" Dan said, grinning. "Come on, let's do it!"

The final result wasn't quite perfect, but some of the detailing looked quite accurate. Blaine was pretty proud of the touches he made to the front door, and even put on some windowsills. Dan, likewise, drew on roof tiles with a small stick.

"Wow!" Matthew said, amazed. "You guys are kind of good after all!"

"Yup!" Dan said. "All thanks to our little foreman here. Phew."

"Maybe we could build a pool in the back." Blaine said, rubbing his hands together. "You know, like those big houses in Nova Albion!"

"Yeah! I always wanted a pool! But Dad said our back yard's too small..." Matthew said, sadly.

"Well, here we've got the whole beach." Dan said. "So we've got all the space we need right around us. Maybe we could build some other nice stuff, too. We're Kings, after all."

"Yup. I guess that makes me the Jack." Blaine said, laughing. "I was telling my Mom about you guys, you know. She was worried you were a bad influence."

"What? But Dan's a good guy!" Matthew said, adamant. "He's not bad!"

"I know, I know!" Blaine said, chuckling. "Relax, I told her he's actually a pretty swell guy. Maybe someday you'll get to meet her."

"Oh yeah?" Dan asked. "Awesome. If she's getting better, then we might as well celebrate. How about some ice cream, before we get to work on this pool?"

"Sure thing." Blaine said. "Come on, let's go." The three boys went off to the ice cream van, feeling the heat all over. Feeling hungry, he thought about having three scoops this time. After all, sand construction was hard work, especially for a demanding six year old.

_If I became a builder, it'll be hard work. But maybe that's a good thing. I wanna feel productive, not just sitting in a classroom bored all day. Wonder what Dad would say.._

**|Legarte Harbour|17:15 pm|**

Another fishing haul was over, and the head fisherman Deo Yuria rubbed his hands together, embracing the sea breeze. Being a salty sea dog felt pretty good, especially on warm days like this. Tonight, he would be going over to his daughter's house to celebrate her husband's promotion at work. What he was most excited about, however, was spending time with his grandson Zao.

"You're looking chipper today, Deo!" Another fisherman asked. "Spending time with the little minnow, right?"

"Yup!" Deo said. "His mum says he can go with me to Clairdol for a fishing trip next week. I never thought kids these days would be so interested in what we do, but he's one happy kipper when it comes to angling!"

"Well, it runs in the family. And think about it. He'll be able to catch his own dinner. Might make a girl very happy one day!" The other man said. "I've got to head off. See you later, then."

"Yup! I'll finish up here, don't worry." Deo said. He and the rest of the crew got hard at work, unloading the huge haul of fish. It was hard to believe the harbour would be home to so many, but there they were. And stories of Deo's catches were becoming legendary, although mostly among aficionados. As he filled a crate with some of today's fish, however, he saw a lady walk by him, in a rather dreamy state. She was in a white floral top, a black skirt, but only socks. Her odd smiles and occasional giggle had drawn some odd looks from the market's shoppers.

"Madam?" One man asked. "Are you alright?"

"What's going on, father?" A black haired pale girl with pink eyes said. She was holding some freshly picked daffodils in her hands. "Why isn't she wearing any shoes?"

"There he is!" She yelled, pointing at what seemed like nothing in particular. "You finally came back! I knew I could find you here!" She stood still, staring ahead. Nothing seemed to be in front of her, but she was delighted regardless. Suddenly, she ran straight ahead, holding her arms out.

"Oh god, no!" Deo shouted. He ran forward, but he was too late. She had fallen into the deep waters, without even trying to swim to safety.

"Father, what's happened? Is she going to be okay?" The flower girl asked.

"Hold on, sweetheart." Her dad said. With his bulky mobile phone, one of the better models available at the time, he quickly dialled the emergency services. But...it was too late.

Pauline Spencer had drowned, chasing after the memory of a lost love.

**|Marchmont Terrace|18:06 pm|**

The three boys returned to the neighbourhood, still in good spirits from their castle building enterprise. Some other kids Matthew's age, including a little girl called Sophie, wanted them to help. It was exhausting, but seeing those children so happy was reward enough.

"Aww, you were running around ragged after those kids!" Dan said, grinning. "Kinda makes me wish I was that age again. Course, back then I was living in that crummy apartment..."

"Yeah, those were the days." Blaine said, fondly. "Now – hey, what? The police are outside!"

They walked inside, where a rather grim looking Rachael and David stood with two policemen. Blaine, worried, looked to the other two boys, who were equally confused.

"Mom, what's going on?" Dan asked. "Is...something wrong?"

"I...think it might be best if you and your brother went upstairs." Rachael said. Dan, gulping, looked at Blaine. Without another word, he took Matthew's hand and went to his room.

"...Guys?" Blaine asked.

"I think you need to sit down." David said. More and more frightened, he sat down on one of the couches in the living room. All eyes were on him, and he couldn't stand it.

"Blaine Spencer, I presume?" The elder of the policemen said. "I'm afraid there's bad news. Your mother, Pauline Spencer, has -"

"NO!" Blaine shouted. "Don't you fucking dare say she's – she can't have – no way!"

"...It's true." The other policeman said. "We confirmed it with the missing patient record at the hospital. She was seen at the Legarte Harbour this afternoon, and eyewitnesses saw her run into the water. They say she was talking to someone that wasn't there."

"What...?!" Blaine said. "She left the hospital?! How could they let that happen?!"

"I'm afraid we're still investigating that." The elder policeman said. "The staff at the hospital claim she went missing during the morning, and couldn't find her anywhere in the building."

Blaine, crestfallen, looked down at his feet, shaking. How could they have been so stupid? Dr Kato said it himself. She wasn't ready to go back to normal. And now that was never going to happen. His father, and now his mother, gone.

"We're...very sorry." The other policeman said. "We should get going. We'll be in touch."

"Thank you." David said. The policemen left, without a word. Blaine just sat there, limp. Just yesterday, he had been talking to her, and she had told him how proud she was. And then something clicked. She said something about his father going out to sea again.

_Don't...tell me...she thought he was still alive? And she went out to find him?! I...I should have seen it! No wonder she seemed so happy! _

"Blaine..." Rachael said, tenderly.

"Leave him be, honey." David said, grabbing her arm. "Come on."

They left the room, leaving the devastated boy there. In his mind, many memories of his mother flashed by. Her taking him into work, and giving him a haircut to match his handsome father. All the older women there fussed over him, enamoured by how cute Pauline's little boy was. And then there was the time she and his father had take him to his first day at school. She looked so proud, seeing him wearing his little backpack. Later, she got him pencils with his name printed on them.

All the Christmas dinners he had with his family. The birthday celebrations. Her letting him help with the cleaning, and Dad helping him pick out a good gift for Mother's Day. But most of all, Blaine just loved her giving him a big hug, smelling of that nice perfume her Dad liked to buy.

Today was the end of an era. He would never see that proud mother ever again. She was with his father now, free from pain. Yet they had left their son, the one they supposedly loved so much, behind.

"DAMMIT!" Blaine roared, punching the sofa. Unable to take it, he stormed upstairs, into his room, and lay on the floor. The tears wouldn't stop, and he couldn't stop playing out his mother's last moments in his head. Except he was there, too helpless to do anything.

_Why did I leave her back then! Dr Kato and those guys at the hospital were useless all along! I should have done something, anything at all to keep her from going to that fucking harbour!_

Eventually, tired from all the crying, he finally fell into a slumber, his pillow damp from the tears.

**|April 13th|Blaine and Dan's Bedroom|7:00 am|**

This week was still the Easter Holiday, but Blaine was in no way feeling festive. In fact, he didn't even feel like getting up from his bed. This place had once been, in his mind, just a temporary room until things got better. But now that was all over. There was no longer anything to hope for.

"Blaine...?" Dan said, looking over his friend. "Aren't you going to have breakfast?"

"Later..." Blaine mumbled. Dan, apprehensive, left. Staring up at the ceiling, he felt his heart sink. "Guess I should have know things would turn out this way...everything else goes to shit..."

_Dad's gone...Mom's gone...and...that guy Dad was friends with...he just vanished. I can't even remember his name anymore. I'm the only one of the Spencer family left..._

He looked out the window, where he saw a magpie on the windowsill. This bird had it easy. It could fly anywhere it wanted. They weren't so deep, these birds. They just soared off to a new place, spreading their wings. He, however, had just waited for his mother to recover, in the vain hope they could go back to normality.

_What the hell do I do now? I can't stay here much longer. This was always supposed to be just for a little while. I'm lucky I got to stay here four years. Fucking hell...I've got nothing to look forward to anymore. They say life is only as good as you make it, but...how the hell do I make it good? Someone tell me..._

Eventually, Dan and David left for work, and Rachael decided to take Matthew shoe shopping. Blaine sat on the sofa in the living room, staring around at the place he had watched TV with this family for four years. On that day, four years ago, he had been fuming at his situation, how much he hated this place. Yet now, there was no home to go to. The place he, his dad and his mom had called home was some other family's now.

All he could think about was how alone he was. How he had no plans for his future. Getting his mother out of the hospital had been his only real goal, and until that day he had been fine with staying here. Now, though, he needed a real ambition. Something to work towards that wasn't just vague hope. Flipping the TV on, he sat there, glad to have a distraction. Not that he cared what exactly _Judge Judy_ was calling 'a bunch of baloney', but at least he could heard something other than his own thoughts.

The day went by, slowly. He barely even looked at Matthew's new shoes, or noticed when Rachael decided to watch one of his least favourite shows ever – _Friends. _Perhaps he should have gone out for a walk, but where? To the harbour, to see the place where it happened? No. He couldn't face that. Not if someone there went up to him, going on about it as if it was some kind of freak show.

He couldn't face any lunch or dinner. Even as pangs of hunger rumbled in his stomach, the idea of having to eat with people watching him, trying their hardest to avoid upsetting him, was too much. He just laid upstairs, watching the world go by from his window. Reading would only distract him until he had run out of pages. And while Matthew had a Game Boy, he didn't feel like borrowing it. His thoughts of his lost childhood wouldn't be drowned out so easily.

By the time Dan came to bed, Blaine had been crying for the last half hour. Blaine looked up, gulped, and quickly wiped his eyes, red from the tears.

"Um...good night." Dan said, unsure of himself.

"I doubt I'll have one of those again..." Blaine said, turning to the window. He watched rain fall against the window, while Dan finally got to sleep. Starving, Blaine tip toed downstairs, and had a few snacks. This was no healthy diet, of course, but at least he didn't have to deal with countless sympathetic eyes on him.

_They'll just say how sorry they are, and ask if there's anything they can do to help me. Just like before. Well, I've had it with that. No one can do anything! Sure, they're sorry, but it's not their Mom! I'll...never get to help her in the kitchen ever again. I used to love how proud she was when we prepared dinner for Dad...or when I learned how to make scrambled eggs...is everything going to remind me of them now? _

Done eating, Blaine returned to his bed. He simply lay there, wide awake, as he gazed out at the cloudy sky. Dan was snoring, but this time he did not feel the urge to slap him silly. It wasn't like he could drift off to sleep this time, anyway. By the time it was the next morning, he still laid there awake, and he had seen the sun rise.

For some, it must have been beautiful to see the sun appearing over the horizon, illuminating the sky. After all, a lot of painters had devoted themselves to capturing the blend of colours in the sky at this time. Blaine, however, only felt sick at the sight. There was nothing in the coming day, or any other, that he saw of value. Just drifting through the hours, until he, too, was gone.

"You get any sleep?" Dan asked, as he got up.

"...No." Blaine said, not even turning around.

"Same." Dan said. "You...coming down for breakfast?"

"I...guess I should." Blaine said, getting up. _I used to like having breakfast here. Even when Matthew pinched my last slice of toast. But what's the point? Getting through the days without anything to work for..._

**|April 14th|Dining Room|7:30 am|**

At breakfast, it was a mostly silent affair. Blaine simply focused on eating, not looking at the concerned stares of the others. While it alleviated his hunger, he still felt empty inside. Once finished, he immediately left the room. As he did, he felt everyone's eyes on them.

"Blaine?" Rachael said. "Matthew and I were thinking about going to the space museum. Want to join us?"

He turned around, and saw Matthew's hopeful face. If only today was a better day. He would have gone with them in seconds flat. But right now, he couldn't stand it. Walking around, seeing all those families with their children, while he was pushed to the sidelines.

"Sorry. You two would have a lot more fun without me there." Blaine said.

"You're not going to stay in all day like yesterday, are you?" David said. "...It might do you some good to get out for a bit."

"Maybe you're right. Look what it did for Mom! She got a nice sea breeze, and even got to take a dip in the ocean!" Blaine yelled.

"Blaine!" Rachael said.

"No, forget it! I don't give a shit about anything anymore! So just leave me the hell alone!" Blaine yelled.

"Blaine, hold up!" Dan shouted, but Blaine wasn't willing to hear another word. He stormed back upstairs, back to the bed which he had barely left.

_Can't believe I said that...dammit. What's wrong with me? Those guys have been so good to me, and I said all that to them...should I go back and apologise? Or maybe it's too late...maybe it's time I finally got going. They don't need to be around me when I'm like this...they can go back to being a happy family. _

The minute he head everyone leave, he sighed. Perhaps now was the time to get a move on. Free up space here, so Dan could have his room all to himself again. But first, he needed to get everything ready. That might take some time.

He reached for his backpack. In it, he stuffed as many clothes as he could, and still managed to squeeze in his family photos. Would it be possible to look at them and smile, after all of this? He didn't know, but he had to try. It was all he had going.

Once it was lunchtime, he walked out of the front door, and checked to see if the coast was clear. Confident no one would see him, he started walking, without a destination in mind. All that mattered was getting himself away from the Kingsley family, so they could live in peace.

**Later, at five o'clock...**

Dan and David returned home together, after a long day at work. However, while they did not expect a happy atmosphere, they were not anticipating a hysterical Matthew and a panicking Rachael.

"Hey, what's wrong, buddy?" Dan asked, kneeling by his brother's side. "You had a bad day at the space museum?"

"No, it's..." Matthew said, sniffling. "He's gone!"

"What?" David asked. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know!" Rachael said, in despair. "I never should have left the house. He's taken most of his clothes, and some of his other belongings!"

"That idiot!" Dan said. "Right, Matthew, don't cry. We'll find Blaine, alright? He wouldn't just leave us for good."

"But..." Matthew said, wiping his tears away. "He's been gone since we got back! And that was hours ago! He's...my other big brother, you know! I might...never see him again!"

"Hey..." Dan said, holding his little brother close. "Don't say never. He'll come back before you know it. He hasn't got any money, nowhere else to live, and he gets hungry real fast. Tell you what. I'll get out there and find him."

"Dan, do you even know where to start looking?" David asked. "It might be simpler to call the police."

"No, we can't do that. The boy's in a bad enough state as it is." Rachael said. "We'll call them if he doesn't turn up soon."

"He will. I'll make sure of that." Dan said. He might not have a motorcycle just yet, but he was going to look all over Kanaloa for his best friend. Maybe the whole damn city. It'd be long, tiring hours of searching, but some things were worth doing if it was for a friend.

Especially one you loved like family.

**|Farawell – Cathedral|4:50 pm|**

Blaine, in his first hours as a vagabond, ended up in Farawell. Out of curiosity, he looked up at the big cathedral, a glorious building that was the heart and soul of the neighbourhood.

"Wow!" said a young blonde curly-haired boy with blue eyes, who was nearby. He gazed up at the stained glass windows, full of wonder. "This cathedral is incredible."

"Quite impressive. Even today, it's beauty shines." said the boy's father. "There's a long history to this building. In fact, it was built before this city properly existed. You know the story, don't you?"

"Yes! We've covered it in school. Several towns were built here, and later they unified as one city. Farawell, Nova Albion, Saragel, Legarte and Takanawa." the boy said. "Although Kanaloa was built a lot later, right?"

"That's right. It's not even half as beautiful as Farawell. Quite frankly, it's a wretched hive. Full of criminals and good-for-nothings. Street after street full of dirt, filth and scum. No one there could possibly amount to anything. Aren't you lucky you're living in Nova Albion?"

"Yes, father." The boy said. "At least we know how to behave like model citizens."

_Ah, fuck you and your model behaviour. Your family probably never even came close to the poverty line! I bet your father wouldn't ever get so desperate for money, he'd end up breaking the law. Lucky bastards. Nova Albion? More like No Way Albion. I'm getting out of here, too._

Blaine stormed off, sneering at both of them. They paid him no attention, however, as they had resumed reading the information guide about the Cathedral. Where Blaine should go next, he did not know. On his travels, he ended up in Takanawa...

**|Takanawa – Mizutani Valley|5:31 pm|**

Now he was in New Motus City's answer to Chinatown, Takanawa. Feeling hungry, he decided to look through the local marketplace, to see if they had anything cheap to eat. He settled upon some stir-fried beef with noodles, and wolfed it down. The rest of the place was full of weird items he had never imagined. Asian culture was so unusual to him. Once or twice, his father had taken the family here for a Chinese meal, but he had never really explored Takanawa on a day like this.

One of the stalls was full of anime merchandise. Such as figurines for something called 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', sketches of characters called 'Allenby Beardsley' and 'Rain Mikamura', Dragonball Z action figures, VHS tapes for 'Angel Cop' and 'Mad Bull 34', and a huge box set of 'Great Mazinger'. Shrugging, he walked off.

He saw a stall full of old video games, an eclectic mix – from Atari 2600 to Sega Saturn. One of them was called 'Hong Kong 97'. Presumably, the game had something to do with the handover of the area from the British to the Chinese the previous year. Now Hong Kong was a 'Special Administrative Region', whatever that meant. By the stall, he saw a young long-haired boy, wearing a shirt with characters from _Dragon Ball Z _on it, looking up at the items. He turned to the right, and asked his mother a question – in Japanese. He had no idea how to speak this language, but assumed he wanted to buy some games.

_Everywhere I go, I keep seeing kids with their parents. Is God trying to torture me?_

The boy's mother shook his head. He tried to beg her, but she wouldn't budge. Whatever her reasons, she wouldn't buy whatever game he wanted. Perhaps it was too violent for his age. The mother took him away, much to the boy's consternation.

_He's lucky...all he has to complain about is not getting some game. It'll probably be a long time before I can buy anything here. Ah well..._

Blaine said, walking off. The sights and smells of the market were amazing, he couldn't deny that. The food looked amazing, and the clothes on display looked so finely made. But being here alone, making his way through the crowds of families or couples, made him feel even worse.

_Is it going to be like this forever? Seeing people happy, and feeling like crap? I guess I should get used to it. At least I'm not selling shitty video games for a living._

Eventually, he reached Legarte, the district known for the fabulous Silvana River.

**|Legarte – Silvana River|7:16 pm|**

Wandering down the river, he could see the harbour up ahead. There was a shopping mall on the way, but he didn't bother going in. He had used up his last few coins on that stir fry. By now, it was getting late. Perhaps he could find a park bench or something to sleep on. Wasn't quite an elegant solution, but he wasn't exactly ready to rent a luxury suite in one of the seaside hotels here.

Running past him was a cheerful brown-haired boy, carrying a newly bought football. No doubt he was an athletic little lad. Blaine sighed. He had loved taking part in sports, especially with Dan and Matthew. Now they'd have to play without him. Probably just as well, as he had a habit of knocking the ball into other people's gardens.

As he walked down, he felt more and more alone. Everyone else around him seemed to have their family with them, or just friends. Either that, or they were heading to meet their special ones. Blaine didn't have anyone left for that.

_Wait, that's not true...is it? Dan and Matthew got pretty close to me real fast. But I couldn't stay with them. Dan, he's nearly a man now. He doesn't need me crying the whole night in his room. And Matthew...he'll be just fine without me. I wouldn't be much fun anymore, anyway._

He walked, and he walked, until he reached the harbour, greeted by the sea breeze and the scent of fish.

**|Legarte Harbour|7:25 pm|**

It was mostly deserted, the harbour. The fisherman had gone further into the water, and there was no market during the week. There was one other person, though. An older boy, about eighteen, with messy spiky black hair and blue eyes. He was facing the ocean, contemplating something.

_Wonder what he's thinking about? Ah, it doesn't matter. None of my business._

Blaine walked towards the water, and sat down, his feet dangling over the edge. He gazed up at the sun, shining bright, and the rippling waves beneath his feet. So this is where his mother died, he thought. Maybe it was better this way. It wasn't such a bad place, after all. And now she was at peace.

He sat there, staring far into the ocean, feeling rather tranquil himself. It felt like slowly, all of his pain was drifting away. All he could hear was the waves, the occasional seagull chirping, and the wind blowing. Only nature could dominate here.

Thinking about it, life would be pretty difficult from here on out. No one to depend on. And he would be leaving most of his friends in Kanaloa behind. A new start, he told himself. It wasn't going to be easy.

Yet sitting here, he started to realise something. Wasn't it silly, thinking he would be kicked out of that house? His shenanigans with Dan aside, he was usually respectful, and prone to taking part in the family's activities. Rachael, a doting mother to her own children, was always quite kind, and David was a strict but encouraging father figure to his household.

And...it hadn't been ideal, sharing a room with Dan, but they had gotten used to it. It was nice to have someone to talk with until the early hours of the morning, about anything at all. Granted, most of their talks weren't exactly intellectual, but they were on the same wavelength. They knew each other, understood one another. It wouldn't be easy to find someone like him.

Maybe even impossible.

Then there was little Matthew. Still young, full of awe and admiration for his older brother. And also for Blaine. To think for most of his life, perhaps as far as he could remember, he had known two brothers.

_Brothers...? Yeah...I guess we really are brothers...what the hell have I done?!_

Blaine suddenly stood up, disgusted at himself. It was so obvious to him now. He could never have just run away and struck out a new life on his own. Not without leaving his brothers behind. Yes, he couldn't return to a life with his mother anymore. Yet he could see it, that the 'temporary' household was his home. And there were people waiting there for him.

He started to walk away from the harbour. At the same time, so did the other boy. He seemed content now, done with his ruminations. They went their separate ways, leaving the harbour behind.

"Damn, I don't have enough for the bus...just going to have to walk it, huh?" Blaine said. At this point, he had blisters all over his feet, and the weight of his bag was starting to get to him. A long walk was ahead of him. "Time to go home..."

**|Saragel – Promenade|8:40 pm|**

By the time Blaine had reached the border between Saragel and Kanaloa, it was nearly nine in the evening. There, looking left and right, was none other than Dan. His absence would have upset them, he realised. Perhaps they would have called the police. Now he felt like a damn fool.

"I'm here!" Blaine shouted.

"What the – Blaine!" Dan, in shock, said. "You...you fucking idiot!" He stormed over, and Blaine flinched. No doubt Dan was angry. Yet a punch did not came. Instead, he felt both his strong arms around him.

"Dan...?" Blaine said.

"Thank god...thank god! What if I never saw you again?" Dan asked.

"I...I didn't want to lose you either!" Blaine said. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't just leave! Not after being part of your family for all these years!"

"You stupid..." Dan said. "You really upset Matthew, you know...and I've been out looking for you since I finished work! What a crazy stunt to pull..."

"I'm really...sorry, Dan!" Blaine said. "I just thought I could do it alone. Start over. But there's no way I can. Not by myself."

"So you're coming home?" Dan asked. "I...I know it's not easy having to bunk with me, but who else would I share my secrets with? Who else is going to be there when I get back from a date? Truth is...I don't want you to go. Mom and Dad would never force you out, and if they did, you think me and Matthew would stand for it?"

"I wasn't thinking right at all...Dan. We're brothers, right? I want to go home...to our home. I've got a lot of apologising to do."

"Yeah, you're damn right." Dan said. Without letting Blaine protest, he took off the heavy backpack. "Never thought I'd have to drag you home again."

"What are brothers for?" Blaine asked, feeling cheerful now. "I...I think I can handle it, you know. My parents might not be around, but I'm sure not alone."

"You dumbass. Course you're not. I'm not letting that happen, not even for one minute." Dan said. "Come on, get moving! You've got my baby brother waiting, past his bedtime!"

Before long, the two walked back to Marchmont Terrace, exhausted but relieved.

**|Marchmont Terrace|9:06 pm|**

Dan did not even have to press the doorbell. Matthew had peeked through the curtains, and upon hearing the doorbell, dashed from the living room, out onto the path, and wrapped himself around Blaine.

"Hey..." Blaine said, softly. "I've been a total idiot, haven't it?"

"The biggest...idiot...ever!" Matthew said, between his sobs. Blaine knelt down beside him, ruffled his hair, and smiled. Then, he just went and wrapped his arms around the little boy, shedding a few tears of his own.

_This little guy...never thought I'd be so happy to see him. Why did I ever think I could just leave him behind?_

"Blaine!" Rachael shouted. "Dan, where did you find him?"

"Saragel. He was heading back here." Dan said, smiling. "He's...going to be okay, Mom. As long as he has us."

"...Thank god." David said. "What were you thinking, Blaine? That I would have you thrown out, even after that outburst this morning? Not a chance. You're always welcome here."

"Yeah, Dad's right! I never wanted you to go..." Matthew said. Blaine wiped the tears from the boy's eyes, and smiled. He looked up at the Kingsleys, and they shared his smile.

"I'm really sorry. But you can stop crying now." Blaine said. "Cause I'm not going anywhere...not anymore." Carefully, he lifted up Matthew into his arms. "Come on, it's bed time."

"Okay..." Matthew said, managing a smile. "Where did you get to? You were gone for a long time..."

"Well, buddy, we'll talk about it tomorrow. I think you need some sleep." Blaine said, yawning. "Me too, really..."

"Come on, sleepyheads." Dan said, holding the door open. "From today forward, Blaine is part of the family!"

"...Yeah!" Blaine said, elated.

_Mom. Dad. You don't need to worry about me now. I'll find a way forward, but not by myself. _


	12. The Dissolution Chronicles

**AN: **Epilogue for Duality is still coming! But in the meantime, here are a few snippets relating to Tomas and his eventual descent into depravity, all in his bid to defeat the Ater Vox that ruined his and Rudo's lives. Be warned, there is content here that may be disturbing. Quick note: The 'Furaha Project' document was mentioned in the story, as it was how Tomas learned exactly what he was getting involved with. Archibald was able to learn much later that the document was accessed by him.

* * *

><p><strong>The Dissolution Collection<strong>

_In his quest to vanquish evil, he had to wear its guise. Little did he know it would become him._

* * *

><p><strong>Diary Entry June 17th 2002:<strong>

This has been a rather trying day. Rudo and I had no choice but to hand over the reigns of the company to Aeternus. After all, they need money to keep everyone safe from these beasts. Yet it means we lose our business, the one we have worked so hard on. Rudo has pretended to smile, but I can his heart is breaking. And mine is to. Amara has stayed cheerful, unusual in these times, but that is her all over. What a special girl, she is. It makes living in this forsaken city worth it.

Archibald Ebert of the Ater Vox has employed me as the Lead Scientist of Aeternus. It seems like a big role to play, yet none of my fellow scientists seem interested in socialising, or passionate in their work. My role is to conduct experiments on Shadows and their various types to learn more about them. If this can contribute to their eventual demise, then I am proud to take this role. Yet I am doubtful that Aeternus care too much about civilians.

The entire city is under their control. They rose from being an internet technology developer to a dictatorship. Whatever the Ater Vox say goes. It doesn't help that they have that intriguing power of Persona. I have seen it in action, and it is wondrous to behold. Nothing else mankind has made can match it, not even atomic missiles. Others are out there that may have it, but it is difficult to find them. Perhaps they are afraid of being used. One must use their skills for their own benefit, not to suit a higher power.

Whatever the case is, I hope me and Rudo can adapt to our new circumstance. After all, we are not likely to suffer at the hands of Shadows if Aeternus is protecting us. Their Ornatu Legion may be in its infancy, but it has sharply reduced deaths from Shadows. We can leave the home safely once again. Best of all, Amara will be safe. That's enough. But if she were to grow up with the Shadows, that would be a tragedy. She must be allowed to see the outside world once more, so she can embark on that dream of hers.

There will be no beauty in this city if things carry on like this. What can she find to paint?

* * *

><p><strong>FURAHA PROJECT<strong>

This is a proposed plan to commence the second of the Divine Sparks. In the unlikely event one is triggered before this plan is carried out, then this will need to be reviewed carefully.

Divine Sparks are brought about by sheer levels of negative human emotion. This is why Kanaloa, already a miserable place to live, was completely destroyed. There is no need to assume the other five will consume their relevant districts, however. It is much more likely only a single building will suffer destruction. Yet there needs to be a trigger.

The device we used at Kanaloa only worked because of that area's unique qualities. For others, we must fuel the Divine Spark via humans. To that end, we have proposed the 'Furaha Project'. Key to this project are Rudo and Amara Furaha.

The former once owned a small oil company, that made him a rich man. We have offered him temporary safety, in exchange for taking over the oil fields of his company and therefore the profits. Furaha's home is thus protected, yet he has quickly become disillusioned with living this way. So far, the project is going as planned.

The next stage is critical. We will take Amara Furaha, his daughter, into the Ornatu Legion when she is sixteen years ago. The reason she has been selected is that she has the potential to develop a natural Persona, and our research from afar has given credence to this theory. Thus, she has the chance to influence and accelerate the Divine Sparks.

We must fuel the fire. On this day, Amara will receive her power, and hopefully join us of her own will. If not, we will tell her we are keeping her father in our custody. If she wishes to save him, which we have no reason to doubt at this time, she will do as we ask. In truth, however, we will have Rudo murdered, and recreate his voice in fabricated recordings to be relayed to his daughter, so she believes the story.

Only when the time is right will we reveal the truth to Amara – she will discover her father's corpse in her family home, which she will not have been able to see until then. We have learned that Mr Furaha hired a body double some time ago, in the interest of protection. Once we have located him, we shall have him dealt with to prevent interference.

This project has been approved by the entire board of the Ater Vox. Thus, the project can commence with no objections. Those found reading this document without prior permission will be dealt with severely.

* * *

><p><strong>Rudo's Diary June 21st 2007 :<strong>

Tomas, you gave me this diary to write in so I won't go stir crazy cooped up in this lab of yours. How am I supposed to write about nothing happening in my day? You have your job, somehow, thanks to your skills. Yet I'm supposed to be dead. I couldn't go anywhere without Shadows to contend with, but now I've got the entire Ornatu Legion and Ater Vox to worry about. And it turns out that they're the ones responsible for all of this. Was I wrong to assume you could protect me, Tomas?

I was in my bedroom, trying to finish my book, when you burst in. Everything you said was like something out of a madman's nightmare. You threw me into this dark void, the place Aeternus have made into their fortress. The impenetrable land that was once Kanaloa, completely taken over as a land of pure evil. Nihane simply wanted to use me for some warped sacrifice. Me and my daughter.

That's right. My own daughter has gone missing. Oh Amara, how I wish I was with you now. Tomas told me you have a Persona now. That gives you an advantage against those Shadows, he told me. Yet all I can think of is a picture I can never put into words. For it would give my worst fears a description. It is bad enough they are in my mind, for every second of every day. Why must they infest the pages of this book?

While you are out there, hopefully alive, you must be scared. And I cannot do anything to help, even if Tomas did not keep me under his watchful eye. I have told him to do something more to help you. After all, he did tell you outright never to trust Nihane. Yet he just blankly states that without a Persona, the two of us are powerless.

He has been saying this like a mantra. I wonder if he plans to gain that power himself. If you knew the secret, Amara, would you tell anybody? It is a special power, he has been very keen to tell me. I feel safer knowing you have it, at least. You're not defenceless. Amara, I wonder if I will ever have a chance to see you again. Now is not the time to take to your sketchbook. Yet I have been able to salvage one of yours.

I do not know what the future may bring. As of now, it seems I am to be trapped here, unable to do anything to improve my situation. Yet memories of you will bring me some comfort. Tomas has been helpful, yet he is working far too hard. He has picked several rooms that I cannot go into in this lab. I just wish he could tell me what he is trying to accomplish.

I doubt I will write in this diary again. If nothing is to happen with me in here, then there will be nothing different tomorrow, and the day after that, and so on. Only when the situation changes will I pick up my pen.

* * *

><p><strong>EMAIL<strong>

**To: JosephineAV , CarlosAV , PierreAV , NinaAV , NihaneAV **

**From: ArchibaldAV **

**Date: 23/10/2009**

**Time: 14:50 pm**

**Subject: Testing Site Activity**

It's been brought to our attention that unusual experiments have been carried out near the external lab. A strange pulse, yet to be deciphered, is being released, pulling in mostly weak Shadows. They seem unusually agitated when they sense this change in the atmosphere. Those of higher power, in particular the Trauma Shadows, only seem slightly curious about these new energy readings.

Once a cadre of Shadows has been assembled, another pulse, which seems to be derived from the 'Balzac' spell, is released. This causes them to attack one another, without any regard to their own vitality When one is defeated, their particles are swiftly captured via the Shadow Energy Extraction device built into the lab's architecture. This device, I must point out, is meant to slowly extract energy for the continual power of the lab, so basic operations can be carried out.

The only person using the external lab is Tomas Weiken. Without any more involvement in Furaha Oil, and no challenging tasks in his official work, he has doubtless become bored here. Rather impudently, he has taken the lab unofficially to carry out his own personal research. Not that we have any particular future need for that lab anymore, but his manners have become rather lacking.

Indeed, he has displayed much more sarcasm towards me. He frequently mocks me, as if he is not in danger of being 'disciplined'. He no longer shows any willingness to aid me with any projects, and is all too keen to be given assignments to carry out alone. When he first joined us, he at least made a token effort to socialise with the rest of the department, but now he prefers solitary time to conduct his research.

Whatever experiments he is conducting, I am quite curious about. Yet they seem to have no impact on any of our plans. If he insists on playing with toys in our playground, let him have free reign. He has no real power of his own, despite his delusions of grandeur. There is no chance of him making a possible difference to us. Perhaps it will be mildly entertaining to see what he does next. Without a Divine Spark any time soon, we might as well pay attention to his little show.

* * *

><p><strong>Diary Entry November 18th 2011:<strong>

Today the Ater Vox had another of their meetings. These Divine Sparks they're chasing after are going nowhere at all. All they have had is the Kanaloa catastrophe in 2002. At the time, I could not believe my ears. Kanaloa, as ugly and disgusting as it may be, had one thing going for it. Its inhabitants were strong, in many ways. To cope with the stigma of being born there, while surviving the many ideals thrown at them, is commendable. Now I am wiser, of course. Kanaloa's purge was necessary. This place is full of true power! It may be in the hands of the wrong people, but Aeternus have gone far beyond anything Kanaloa could achieve. Thousands are dead, but all of that is necessary for progress. I must take that lesson to heart. In my past tests, I have been far too lenient. Science is not humane. How else would we have learned so much about the human body? To learn more about its psyche, I shall go far beyond what any other has done. Even if I am labelled as mad.

Rudo is still complaining about his lack of freedom. Not only is he a prisoner in my lab, I need to make sure he does not accidentally learn of my research. Not a huge concern at the present time, however. Everything is far too preliminary to divulge to him. I have sourced various trinkets to keep him busy, but when he can rarely go outside, his mood is rarely able to go above indifference. Amara is still on the run, as she was sighted recently in Takanawa. How she can hide from the Ater Vox is extraordinary. I would love a chance to talk to her in detail. She gave our Commander, Blaine Spencer, some rather fearsome scars during their last fight. He is a rather brooding fellow. I wonder if it is worth asking him to take Amara to me personally? Or would Aeternus intercept such a plan? Mr Spencer is acerbic at the best of times, and thus striking up a conversation might be a challenge.

Onto my recent undertakings. For a long time now, I have dreamed of the change to extinguish the Ater Vox, and declare myself the master of this city. To do so, however, I must attain power comparable to theirs. Yet what power do I have? I am an old man who needs a stick to walk! Not that my age matters. A youthful body without that power would stand the same chance. To be on par with Blaine, Amara, or even those Holy Cross amateurs would be glorious.

I must acquire a Persona at any cost. Even if I were to command Shadows, they would be immediately lost if I sent them to attack. For Nihane and his lackeys have proper influence over them. Bastards they may be, but they're clever. They have all the power I need, and are not shy about flaunting it. For far too long, they have been allowed to go unsurpassed, and their arrogance is sickening. I must be the one that reminds them what fear feels like.

Alas, researching Personae is difficult. I don't have the authority over the Holy Cross or the Commander. Apparently, they're too important to guard me, the second highest ranked scientist in the entire organisation. Which shows you exactly how little power anyone NOT in the Ater Vox has. And the Ornatu Legion stock of Persona are worthless. That has already been well documented. They're not genuine Personae, after all, and thus cause mental imbalance in their user. Nor do they have any considerable power. Very few of them can work independently, hence why they always work in groups. Pathetic.

I did, however, arrange a surreptitious little test to confirm the highest strength an Ornatu Legion soldier could attain. Using electronic voice application, I was able to create a false distress call for them in the outskirts of Farawell. Then, I managed to dispatch a potent Shadow, one of the more powerful ones roaming these grounds. Specifically, the Harlequin. Diego Alves took the call, believing the caller to be his fiancé Gloria. A romantic at heart, he stupidly paid no attention to any discrepencies in the situation, and ran to her.

The Trickster Harlequin is the weakest of the Trauma Shadows, as others have reported, and yet our Ornatu soldier could not best it. With special equipment, I was able to trap the freed Persona's energies and escape without injury. The Harlequin was caught, later sent to that old building Farawell, where they used to perform research. Seems like they were impressed with its power and want to study it more safely. No one seems to have detected that I set it free. Nor do they seem to give one hoot that a strong soldier died the day before his wedding. Course, this would have been a particularly dire affair, considering the times we live in. Perhaps I did Gloria a favour. After all, funerals are less costly than weddings.

Examining the Persona – Hanuman – in detail revealed to me exactly why it is so weak. Comprising this metaphysical construct are many human thoughts, trying to assert dominance over another. Not akin to a crowd of cheering fans at a concert, trying to make their voice heard. Such a collusion of minds yields certain power, yet in this field it is average at best. Attempting to filter this out into individual minds failed completely. The only result were pathetic wisps of energy, that dissipated immediately. Not one was strong enough alone to survive.

Therefore, the solution is obvious. I must create a fake Persona entirely born from one person's despair. For this to work, that person's suffering must be heightened. And I, not Archibald, have come to this conclusion. You would think a man of his genius would have realised such an obvious truth before me. Rather, he's putting his faith in finding new Persona users. What a time wasting endeavour. Perhaps the Holy Cross are simply not enough for him. A bunch of do-gooders, always taking up dangerous missions in the name of 'justice'. I must be the only one who knows the meaning of the word anymore.

Am I to carry out this alone? I must have a Persona. A good one. If I can gain one, I may be able to further augment it, until I surpass the Ater Vox. Perhaps I can give Rudo a fighting chance too. And together, we can see out Amara! It may be cruel, but this is for the best. From tomorrow onwards, I will work on how exactly to create this ultimate power. Much preparation must be done until I have what I seek. I will deliver suffering to thousands if I must. But their pain won't be comparable to mine! Not even close! I will bathe this fortress with blood, as I claim it for myself!

* * *

><p><strong>TEST 1<strong>

**SUBJECT A:**

**Name: **Ichiko Kurosaki

Gender: Female

Birthdate: 15/4/1991

Arcana: Magician

Skill Level: 3

**SUBJECT B:**

Name: Sanjay Alahan

Gender: Male

Birthdate: 29/2/1992 (considered 28/2 on non-leap years)

Arcana: Judgment

Skill Level: 2

**SUBJECT C:**

Name: Dimitri Alanov

Gender: Male

Birthdate: 2/4/1990

Arcana: Tower

Skill Level: 2

**SUBJECT D:**

Name: Leona Smith

Gender: Female

Birthdate: 7/10/1988

Arcana: Empress

Skill Level: 4

**Goal: **The objective of this test is to determine exactly what pain threshold a person needs to reach to generate a Shadow purely based on them. If a Shadow is generated, further testing will be conducted to see if it can be processed into a Persona. If this is possible, the final test will be to place this Persona on an applicable host.

**Prior Preparation: **Checking that Unit F4 – Subjects A/B/C – are not otherwise engaged, and are in perfect health. As long as the Shadows generated can be preserved, Subject D can be used whenever they are ready.

**Phase 1: **An urgent call for help will be sent to Unit F4. They will be under the impression it was relayed to them via headquarters, and the voice coded to speak to them will resemble one of the operators they are aware of. No record of this communication will be left on their mobile phone. The call for help will be as follows:

"Unit F4? We've got an urgent request you must deal with right away. There are approximately five Shadows in front of the Aeternus Supply Complex in Legarte. Arrive there immediately! There are civilians trapped inside! After neutralizing the Shadows, you must find them and take them home!"

**Phase 2: **Have Unit F4 battle five reasonably strong, but not overwhelmingly so, Shadows. These will not pose a challenge to the team. Upon defeating them, they will be under the opinion that this is a routine rescue operation, and will suspect nothing. They will enter the building, and discover no one, until they hear the sounds of women screaming. This sound will come from upstairs.

**Phase 3: **Unit F4 will arrive at the third floor, and will be lured into the secret project room. This is when the specially designed paralysis gas will be emitted, and their bodies will become immobile for a time. With this done, their bodies will be taken to the External Lab. Each one's mental condition will be thoroughly examined via machine, and it will be decided exactly what methods will be used to produce Shadow energy.

**Phase 4: **Unit F4's members will lose all positive energies as a result of their mental stress and physical atrophy. Upon their terminations, to be carried out when they have reached maximum despondency, they will release large quantities of Shadow energy. The appropriate equipment will be used to siphon this power. 3 Personae will be processed out of this energy, which will be divided into three to avoid dilution. The form they will take is unknown.

**Phase 5: **Subject D, not part of Unit F4, will be invited to the lab under the pretense of guarding me from a rogue Shadow. Once they arrive, they will be knocked unconscious, and have their current Persona released, to be discarded. Then, one of the three test Personas will be equipped onto her. Her memories will be altered. A cover story that she was knocked out by a Shadow will be given. I will explain that a new Persona has been donated to her by the Ater Vox, and she must go out and test it to see if it is to her liking.

**Phase 6: **If either Persona is shown to be lacking in power, Subject D will be knocked out again, and will be fixed with the next Persona in the sequence. The same cover story will be given. This will continue until either one Persona has the potential to rival a natural one, or all are ineffective. Subject D will thus be terminated regardless, to avoid information being leaked, and her death will be regarded as an accident.

**RESULTS:**

The three Personae generated were as followed:

**Subject A:** Astaroth

**Skills:** Magna

**Subject B:** Andromalius

**Skills:** Garu

**Subject C: **Allocer

**Skills: **Agi

Each one seems stronger than a regular Ornatu Persona, albeit not at the level of a genuine one. Augmenting a Persona via additional energy remains an avenue worth examining. Each Subject proved tough to crack, but the method of doing so will be deemed the _**Ego Processing Treatment**_. Adversity builds character, after all.

**Subject A:** Removing the subject's eyes, and transmitting images to their brain of a distressing event in their memory -relating to a childhood kidnapping - that was suppressed. The subject was left paralysed below the waist to prevent any hope of escaping surfacing, this was also done to Subjects B and C.

**Subject B: **Trapping them in what appeared to be a burning room. In truth, the room was merely heated far more than usual, and images of flames were displayed via a projector on the walls, ceiling and floor. The subject never quite caught on. Subject B had a phobia of flames, stemming from an incident in childhood.

**Subject C: **This Subject wanted nothing more than to defend his friends and family. Therefore, it was easy enough to fabricate images and videos of their 'deaths', all computer generated. Each one brought the Subject onto the verge of tears, realising that they had failed to protect anybody. Each of Subject C's friends cursed him as they 'died'.

**PERSONA TEST RESULTS**

ASTAROTH:

Strength: Reasonably high. The subject seemed surprised at how much brute force the Persona could exert.

Magic: Slightly higher than average. Nothing groundbreaking. The subject used spells just fine.

Endurance: Defence is perhaps this Persona's greatest asset. It can endure far more punishment than other artificial Personae.

Agility: The lowest attribute this Persona has. Subject D was rather sluggish, rarely able to dodge attacks.

_BATTLE NOTES_

During the first battle, a slight increase in power happened when using attacks. Subject D complained that her head hurt slightly, but did not refuse to fight further.

The second battle did not go as smoothly. Subject D's headaches intensified, and she seemed to be reacting to memories from each Subject A's Ego Processing Treatment. Due to Astaroth's Endurance, she managed to stay the course and eventually slay the Shadow. When asked to carry on fighting, she vehemently refused, suddenly hostile towards me, but eventually acquiesced and fought the final enemy.

In the third battle, her mental state seemed stable, albeit she hesitated at times. Yet after defeating the Shadow, which took quite a lot of energy, she fell to her knees, screaming incoherently. She pleaded with an unknown voice to get out of her head, and eventually passed out.

Astaroth was quickly extracted from Subject D, and placed into storage. As of now, it is too unstable to be used as a Persona reliably in combat. Research needs to be taken to see if it can be conditioned. If not, it will be discarded.

ANDROMALIUS

Strength: Low. Physical attacks are not this Persona's forte.

Magic: Very high. Magic comes easily to this Persona. Most Shadows can be felled in one or two spells, and it comes with enough magic energy to supplant this.

Endurance: Average.

Agility: Slightly above average.

_BATTLE NOTES_

Battle 1 went smoothly, without even any hint of pain from the subject. They seemed at ease using the Persona's magic, having been advised of it's advantage. All Shadows were defeated easily.

Battle 2, while not without setbacks, also went well. The Shadows were destroyed slower than before, due to the Subject feeling inner pain in her head, and wondering if someone was talking to her.

Battle 3 can only be described as catastrophic. Upon summoning the Persona, she immediately broke down into screaming, as her Persona went on a wild rampage, slaughtering any Shadow – even if it was not in the test. For quite some time, the Persona ran rampant, while the Subject continued to scream, rambling about 'the fire'.

The Subject finally went unconscious, after a prolonged waiting period. Andromalius is now in storage, and has a greater likelihood of being used than Astaroth. The final test was carried out sometime later at night.

ALLOCER

Strength: High. This Persona is adept at crushing targets, and has the vitality to power this brute force.

Magic: Low. It can use spells, but not very effectively.

Endurance: Slightly below average.

Agility: Average.

_BATTLE NOTES_

Battle 1 went without any error at all. Aside from one Shadow not taking damage from physical hits, the Subject was completely calm.

Battle 2 was much more difficult. The Subject completely turned hostile, screaming at the voices in her head to shut up, and the Persona seemed to be disobeying orders on occasion. The Shadows were eventually defeated, yet not before the Subject took heavy damage. They were given time to recover. During this time, they continued talking to the voice in their head. Alas, they were unable to hold a meaningful conversation. When summoned for the final battle, she did not speak, and her eyes seemed to have turned pure red.

Battle 3 began with the Shadow attacking the Subject. Yet upon seeing the Persona, it stalled. Perhaps it sensed something far more malevolent than itself. It was coaxed into fighting, while Subject D stood still. Then a reaction I did not imagine occurred. The Persona flew into the Subject's body, causing an extreme reaction. There was an intense red aura that enveloped her body, and the Shadow froze completely. When all was clear, an abomination of a Shadow appeared. It seemed to be a Maya, but with components of Allocer poking through, just barely fixed in. Voices resembling Subject C and Subject D were heard screaming in agony, calling out various names – including mine. The 'ordinary' Shadow tried to fight, but it was killed in a single second. The monstrous Allocer attempted to break into the lab, but as luck would have it, the Imprisoned Mummy was in the area. Allocer tried to break inside, but it was quickly vanquished by the Trauma Shadow. Only traces of its existence remain.

**CONCLUSION:**

The three Personae, while functional to a degree, are too dangerous to be used on a long-term basis. The first two gave the user severe mental trauma, and her mental health was considered adequate beforehand. The last one, perhaps given the most trauma during Ego Processing Treatment, completely consumed the user. Perhaps its will overwhelmed her, and Subject C's desire for revenge drove it to break into this lab. Either way, Astaroth and Andromalius are to be kept in storage.

Future steps are to create better Personae via a more intensive Ego Processing Treatment, as well as develop safety measures to avoid neural contamination via the artificial Personae.

* * *

><p><strong>Rudo's Diary, June 21st 2012:<strong>

Amara. Tomas has told me about what happened at Farawell. Apparently, Nihane Kronos was there, and the second Divine Spark happened at last. And you are nowhere to be seen.

Could it really be that you are no more? Tomas doesn't seem to believe you could be dead. He mumbled something about Inanis. If you are there, then you must find a way out of this city for good. Do not return here. Leave, for a place untouched by monsters. A place you can see a pure sunset, and the ocean. And never think of here again. Seize your freedom!

Please, be alive. The thought of your fire burning out fills me with dread. I have not seen you since you were child, my beautiful Amara. Nihane's sick schemes must never consume your soul. It is far stronger than his, I can feel it. He is nothing more than a cruel dictator. You, on the other hand, burn brightly for others. It would be a travesty if you were to die before him.

Tomas wishes for me to go into one of his project rooms tonight. He claims to want to show me something amazing. I doubt anything he has to display can possibly ease my doubts. Amara, Uncle Tomas has changed over the years. Yet you must not fault him. The Shadow Crisis has brought out the worst in us all.

Amara, whatever happens, I will always be your father. Think of me every now and then, if you are alive. That will be enough.

* * *

><p><strong>NEW PERSONA TEST<strong>

**SUBJECT A:**

**Name:** Nicholas Fox

Gender: Male

Birthdate: 31/5/1987

Arcana: Strength

**SUBJECT B:**

Name: Bradley Thompson

Gender: Male

Birthdate: 16/9/1987

Arcana: Devil

**Goal: **The objective of this test is to build upon the first, and experiment on two captured thugs. Neither of them are in any position to resist, and are mentally distraught to begin with. If all goes well, the utter despair of their souls can create pure Personae, and prove that this project has merit.

**Prior Preparation: **Making absolutely sure that no one, under any circumstance, will be able to approach either Subject during experimentation. Also, that the Eye Visionary device is functional, as it will be used to trick a brain into believing a fabricated world is real. This was used in Test 1, but in a less refined state.

**EGO PROCESSING TREATMENT: **The revolutionary new method of Persona manufacture has been intensified beautifully. Each Subject was discovered crippled. Via interrogation, they recall a man summoning a Persona to attack them, before they could rob him blind. They also have a female accomplice called Keisha, whose whereabouts remain unknown. Using the virtual reality gear, it was possible to recreate their likeness, personality and voice convincingly.

Each Subject was chained to the wall, with the gear affixed to their eyes and ears. A computer program was used to create their imaginary surroundings. An underground basement was chosen, a dark dingy place covered with fresh bloodstains. Both subjects were chained up in this fake building just as they were in real life. There, the man who attacked them – whose name I still do not know – rather sadistically began torturing them for information, so he could find Keisha and use her for certain activities, as well as pilfer all their ill-gotten gains.

This torture went on for weeks. Using the gear and ingenuity, it was possible to convince the subjects that their captor was slicing off their fingers, toes, and repeatedly stabbing them. The actual body parts were quickly burnt to ash. Poison was repeatedly given to the Subjects, in increasingly large doses, to slowly cripple their major organs. Their legs were broken, and they were paralysed, thus fleeing would be impossible. They quickly became emaciated, and lost most of their teeth. A flesh eating disease was also administered, with fast results. Pictures were taken on a day to day basis to examine the rate of physical degradation, and graphs were drawn to measure mental output.

Eventually, both men were at their wits end. At this stage, their captor finally revealed to them their captive Keisha. And in front of them, he did something quite deplorable, abominable actions of lust and sin. Once he had satisfied his needs, he beat her up severely, and finished by ripping apart her throat.

Finally, he slowly twisted knives into the Subject's hearts. Blood trickled down, and both men slowly faded away, knowing that they had failed to protect Keisha. Once their heartbeats had finally ceased, the masses of energy released were quickly isolated from each other. Each blend was pure and brimming with power. The corpses were cremated, and the ashes were throw away with the waste.

**RESULTS:**

The two Personae generated were as followed:

**Subject A:** Nebiros

**Skills:** Bufu, Dia

**Subject B:** Belial

**Skills:** Agi, Cleave

Their energy levels are far above what was created in Test 1. As a result, the leftover Personae have been discarded. Each one has a stronger sense of self than before.

**PERSONA BATTLE RESULTS:**

NEBIROS

Average strength. Should be sufficient if the need arises.

Magic is very strong. Most Shadows weak to ice will be quickly frozen and killed.

Endurance seems slightly below par.

Agility is above average, allowing for easy evasion of most attacks.

Battle performance has yet to be tested.

BELIAL

Decent amount of strength. Wields a heavy scythe with finesse.

Magic is excellent. Even with Agi, it can burn Shadows to death in one hit.

Endurance is below average. Yet with careful strategy, this should not be a problem.

Agility is quite low. Still, movement may not be necessary with this much power to use.

Using Belial in battle is quite an exciting experience. One can hear voices that match the recordings from the virtual reality, reflecting just how much the Subject hated the man who kidnapped him. All of his fear and regrets fuel this Persona, thus giving it a cutting edge against most Shadows. This no doubt is down to a much more thorough Ego Processing Treatment. No adverse side effects such as those of the Personae in Test 1 have occurred as of yet, although it is possible those have been delayed. It is safe to assume that continued use of this Persona could cause mental and physical problems. Extra work must be taken to ensure it does not rebel against its user.

**CONCLUSION: **The project is finally a complete success. There should be no more need to carry out an Ego Processing Treatment, but if there is, then this should be the benchmark. A suitable host for Nebiros must be found, but there is a likely candidate. Adapting to this new power ought to be an exciting and groundbreaking experience, especially when it comes to more intensive combat.

* * *

><p><strong>Diary Entry, August 8th 2012:<strong>

What luck! This world's Amara is alive and well! Rudo is very happy, and has complained far less about his situation. The rebels seem to be doing quite well, too. To have so many of them opposing Aeternus is wonderful. I can't help but feel they're missing out on a great opportunity, though.

What do I mean by that? Simple. The Eternal Road. Divine Sparks have finally started happening this year, and with only two to go, there will be little time before I can take advantage of this. I must gather up the power of a Divine Spark, either one, and use that with Belial to ascend to a new level of power. One that even Nihane hasn't reached. Oh, if only they knew how much I know now! But best leave that a surprise until I slaughter those Ater Vox bastards!

I will use that Eternal Road for my dearest wish! To bring happiness to my friend at long last. He will have his freedom, his daughter, and his darling Ayodele! And I will accompany him into this new world. One where we can be at peace at last! Such a world the Ater Vox would never allow. Therefore, I must continue my research! The next Divine Spark will be mine! Amara will be delighted when she hears what lengths I went through to make a better world for her!

Those rebels only seem to want to destroy Aeternus and make the world go back to normal. As if that would be a simple solution. I am aware of how frightened humans are, when it comes to pushing their own boundaries. Look at me! I was not afraid to go to unspeakable places of my heart, and look what I am about to do!

If the Divine Spark is next to happen in Legarte, that would be most ideal. That other project I created is situated there. Those zombies would be ideal at increasing the energy generated. Perhaps pursuing that idea did not work out well at first, but I should very easily be able to reach the Altar of Infinity and become the kind of God Nihane wishes he was! And from that point, the Eternal Road will lead me to actual happiness. I will soon be able to carve open the Ater Vox, and seize their prize. I will be back in your home, Rudo, reviewing another of your daughter's paintings. Just remember, it takes sacrifice to get results..


	13. Marcel, A Man of Adventure

**AN: **In the epilogue, I introduced a new character called Marcel, intended as Amara's third major love interest. For a while I contemplated whether she should hook up with someone new, and eventually I decided sure. A few ideas for him went around in my head, for example making him a Japanese guy, until eventually I came up with a young, handsome and slightly dorky French archaeologist. Not a Persona user, of course, but he has a full bio! And here it is. I'd consider this spoilers, except most of this isn't going to appear in the story, beyond a hint to some sadness in his past.

* * *

><p><strong>Name:<strong> Marcel Bonheur

**Age:** 24/25

**Height:** 5'9

**Occupation:** Archaeologist, Historian, Lecturer

**Birthplace:** Marseilles, France

**Birthday:** 18th February 1988

**Arcana:** Unknown (possibly Lovers or Magician)

**Family:** Brothers Olivier (28), David (26), Louis (30), several nieces and nephews, Late wife Saskia (died 23 years old)

**Hobbies:** Baking (bread especially), Reading (mostly history books, but the occasional mystery novel too), Film. Also, He speaks fluent French, Arabic, English, Dutch and Russian, and can read hieroglyphics.

Marcel is a French Archaeologist and Historian, who occasionally gives guest lectures at universities. Ever since he was a young lad, he was determined to study the past, engrossed with the mysteries of the unknown, so he could make great discoveries and uncover the truth behind the world's greatest mysteries. His parents supported him, but he used to get teased by his three elder brothers. He also became rather athletic, often playing football with his brothers and their various friends. After school, he studied history in Paris.

There, he met a young lady from Amsterdam called Saskia, who was a blonde bombshell with a killer smile, and a wit to match. Marcel, normally a shy lad when it came to the opposite sex, was smitten immediately. They started off as study partners, before they became devoted lovers. Marcel thought about her every day. They graduated together, and soon afterwards, Marcel was encouraged by his brothers to propose. They got married in a beautiful old church in France.

While he was on a job to read hierogylphics on ancient tablets, however, Saskia discovered something horrible - she had terminal cervical cancer. She hid it from Marcel as long as she could, but when he saw her growing weaker, she told him in hysterics, sobbing in his arms. Marcel was crestfallen - there was no time for them to do all the things they wanted to. She would die young, leaving him behind.

Despite his fears, Saskia told him that as long as he was with her, she wasn't so scared. In her words, some people go through lifetimes without finding the one they love the most. So she didn't feel so unlucky, for he had been so wonderful. In the limited time they had to together, they tried to do as many things as possible, even swimming with dolphins. Marcel continued to travel, and gave lectures on Archaeology from time to time, but he wanted to stay as close to his ill wife as long as possible.

The dreaded day came. She wished to die at home, the place where she felt loved. Marcel held her hand, as she said her goodbyes. And in an instant, she was gone. The lovely lady Marcel had strived for since becoming of age, gone. For a long time, Marcel could find no joy in anything. He had no heart to chase after mysteries, or even a football. His brothers, however, decided it was time they intervene. Their stern, but loving approach to helping him finally paid off. They told him that he had a long life ahead of him, and whatever he got to see, Saskia would see this too.

One day, he decides to visit a prestigious museum in Cairo, where a relic he helped uncover is on display. There, he would run into an Egyptian lady, one who he flirted with - but her passion for her own craft, art, drew his attention. This woman, Amara Furaha, seemed like a strong, determined woman, able to see the best in even the darkest situations. Thus, even though they lived in different nations, they continued to chat. Six months on, and Marcel is seriously considering the possibility that he could love Amara as much as Saskia - maybe even more. Yet he has no clue that Amara too has lost someone she adored as well. If they can find the courage to discuss the darkest days of their lives, will they grow closer?


End file.
